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OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank to Build Five New AI Data Centers for $500 Billion Stargate Project

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OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank announced plans to construct five new artificial intelligence data centers in the United States as part of their massive Stargate project, an initiative expected to reshape AI infrastructure.

President Donald Trump hosted leading tech CEOs in January to launch Stargate, a private-sector effort aiming to spend up to $500 billion on the compute power needed to support the next generation of AI.

OpenAI and Oracle will build three new facilities in Shackelford County, Texas, Doña Ana County, New Mexico, and an undisclosed Midwestern site. Together with SoftBank and its affiliate, OpenAI will also develop two additional centers in Lordstown, Ohio, and Milam County, Texas.

These new facilities, combined with Oracle-OpenAI’s Abilene, Texas expansion and ongoing projects with CoreWeave, will boost Stargate’s total data center capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts. According to OpenAI, this represents over $400 billion in investments over the next three years. The ultimate goal remains 10 gigawatts of total capacity.

“AI can only fulfill its promise if we build the compute to power it,” OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said in a statement.

The new projects are expected to create 25,000 on-site jobs. The announcement follows Nvidia’s pledge on Monday to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply data center chips.

To finance Stargate, OpenAI and its partners plan to use debt financing and lease chips, according to sources familiar with the matter.

With backing from Microsoft, OpenAI joins other tech giants pouring billions into AI infrastructure to support services such as ChatGPT and Copilot.

Given AI’s growing importance in sensitive fields like defense—and with China racing to catch up—both the private sector and the Trump administration have made AI infrastructure a strategic priority.

Texas Instruments to Invest $60 Billion in U.S. Chip Manufacturing Amid Political Pressure

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Texas Instruments (TI) announced plans on Wednesday to invest over $60 billion to expand its semiconductor manufacturing facilities in the United States. This move comes amid ongoing pressure from the Trump administration to reshore the country’s semiconductor supply chain.

The Biden administration finalized a $1.61 billion subsidy for TI in December to support the construction of three new facilities, part of the broader $52.7 billion CHIPS and Science Act. TI’s investment plan includes building or expanding seven chip-making plants across Texas and Utah, with two new sites planned in Sherman, Texas. The company said this investment would create 60,000 jobs, calling it the largest foundational semiconductor manufacturing investment in U.S. history.

TI expects to spend up to $40 billion on its Sherman operations and approximately $21 billion on facilities in Utah and other parts of Texas. While no exact timeline was provided, TI confirmed its long-term capital expenditure plans remain unchanged.

Unlike AI-focused chipmakers Nvidia and AMD, TI specializes in analog chips used in everyday electronics such as smartphones, cars, and medical devices. This gives TI a broad client base, including Apple, SpaceX, and Ford.

The $60 billion investment follows similar announcements from other semiconductor companies. For example, Micron recently revealed it would increase its U.S. investment by $30 billion, bringing its total planned spending to $200 billion.

Some analysts interpret these spending announcements as efforts to gain favor with former President Donald Trump, who has threatened to block the CHIPS Act funding and impose tariffs on semiconductor imports.

U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick praised the investment, stating it would support “foundational semiconductors that go into the electronics people use every day” and sustain U.S. chip manufacturing for decades.

TI’s announcement also includes previously allocated funds for facilities already under construction or scaling up production.

TSMC Reinforces Commitment to Taiwan with New Domestic Fab Amid Global Expansion

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Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) reaffirmed its dedication to its home base with the opening of a new chip manufacturing facility in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. The factory, which will produce the company’s most advanced chips using 2nm technology, is expected to create 7,000 tech jobs on the island. This announcement comes amid concerns that TSMC’s significant investment in the United States could dilute its domestic presence.

TSMC’s executive vice president, Y.P. Chyn, made the remarks during a ceremony at the new fab, highlighting the company’s ongoing commitment to Taiwan even as it expands globally. The new facility is slated to begin volume production of 2nm wafers in the latter half of this year, according to the company’s schedule.

Despite its $100 billion investment plan in the U.S., TSMC and the Taiwanese government have both emphasized that a substantial portion of the company’s production will remain in Taiwan. TSMC, often called Taiwan’s “sacred mountain protecting the country,” plays a pivotal role in Taiwan’s economy, and the company’s officials reassured that Taiwan will continue to be at the heart of its operations.

While Taiwan’s Premier Cho Jung-tai expressed gratitude for TSMC’s assurances, noting that the company will always remain a “national team,” the company has also made clear that it intends to meet the growing demand of global customers, which has driven its expansion.

TSMC’s growing presence in the U.S. follows pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly criticized Taiwan’s semiconductor dominance and called for more manufacturing to return to the U.S. The concerns over potential tariff impositions highlight the delicate balance TSMC must strike as it manages its global footprint while maintaining its critical role in Taiwan’s economy.