Former US President Trump announced a huge AI investment project called "Stargate" with a budget of up to US$500 billion, attracting global attention. The project is jointly funded by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, with Son serving as project chairman. However, Elon Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, has been highly critical of the project and has publicly questioned the authenticity and feasibility of the project's funding. He has also had a public dispute with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, a participant in the project. During the debate, the two's past cooperative relationships and philosophical differences also surfaced again. This incident highlights the huge scale and potential risks of capital investment in the field of artificial intelligence, as well as the huge differences in development directions and business models between different companies and individuals.
A few days ago, former US President Trump announced a huge artificial intelligence investment project called "Stargate" with a budget of up to US$500 billion.
The plan is jointly funded by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank. Trump attended the press conference with Sam Altman, Larry Ellison and Masayoshi Son, the CEOs of these three companies. Masayoshi Son will serve as project chairman, and the joint participation of the three billionaires made the announcement attract widespread attention. However, Tesla and SpaceX CEO Elon Musk was surprisingly not present and has been critical of the project.
Picture source note: The picture is generated by AI, and the picture authorization service provider Midjourney
After Trump released "Stargate", Musk criticized it on social platforms, saying that the project was actually just a financial "farce." He expressed doubts about OpenAI's claim on social media that it would "invest $100 billion immediately", believing that these funds did not exist, and further accused SoftBank of insufficient funds. Musk's remarks showed his delicate relationship with Trump's team, even though he has always been regarded as a Trump ally.
At the same time, Altman adopted a milder attitude towards Musk's remarks and expressed respect for Musk's achievements, but he also did not forget to fight back against Musk, saying that the latter's funding statement was inaccurate and invited Musk to Skiff visited the first data center under construction. In an interview, Microsoft CEO Nadella downplayed that he would invest US$80 billion in Microsoft's cloud computing services.
This isn't the first time Musk and Altman have quarreled. The two were co-founders of OpenAI, but they broke up due to differences in concepts. Musk even filed a lawsuit against OpenAI this year, accusing its business model change of "Shakespearean deception."
At present, Ellison and Masayoshi Son, who are involved in "Stargate", have not commented on the controversy. Although the investment plan has attracted attention from all parties, how to implement it and the authenticity of the funds will still be the focus of future discussions.
Highlight:
Trump announces $500 billion "Stargate" co-funded by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.
Musk has questioned the plan, calling it a financial "farce" and questioning the true existence of the funds.
Altman responded to Musk's comments by expressing respect for his achievements but also firing back.
There are still many uncertainties about the future direction of the "Stargate" project and the whereabouts of funds. The public dispute between Musk and Altman has also cast a shadow over this huge investment project. The subsequent development deserves continued attention.