Key Points
- OpenAI is warning the U.S. that it needs to increase energy production massively. The company says this is critical to stay ahead of China in the AI race.
- OpenAI is calling for the U.S. to build 100 gigawatts of new energy capacity each year.
- The company points to a massive “electron gap,” with China adding far more power capacity than the U.S.
- The warning comes as OpenAI is planning a major expansion of its power-hungry data centers.
OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, has a stark warning for the United States: ramp up your energy production, or risk losing the AI race to China. The AI startup, which is in the middle of a massive infrastructure build-out, says the country’s already-strained electric grid is not ready for the AI revolution.
“Electricity is not simply a utility,” OpenAI wrote in a blog post. “It’s a strategic asset that is critical to building the AI infrastructure that will secure our leadership on the most consequential technology since electricity itself.”
The company is calling on the U.S. government to commit to building 100 gigawatts of new energy capacity every single year. To put that in perspective, 10 gigawatts is enough to power about 8 million homes.
OpenAI points to a massive “electron gap” between the two global superpowers. Last year, China added a staggering 429 gigawatts of new power capacity, while the U.S. added just 51 gigawatts. “Electrons are the new oil,” the company declared.
This warning comes as OpenAI is signing a series of major deals to build sprawling, power-hungry data centers needed to support its advanced AI models. These projects will require a massive amount of electricity, and the company is clearly worried that the U.S. grid won’t be able to keep up.
