OpenAI and Oracle to add 4.5 GW to Stargate AI project

In a bold move to cement the United States' position as a global leader in artificial intelligence infrastructure, OpenAI and Oracle announced plans on Tuesday to add 4.5 gigawatts (GW) of data center capacity as part of their joint Stargate initiative. The expansion, which will take place across the U.S., brings the total data center capacity under development by Stargate to more than 5 GW — a scale unprecedented in the history of AI infrastructure.

Stargate: A $500 Billion Vision

Launched earlier this year as a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, Stargate aims to invest up to $500 billion in AI infrastructure over the next four years. The initiative was publicly endorsed by President Donald Trump shortly after his January inauguration and has quickly become a flagship project for the administration’s broader push to boost domestic technology capabilities.

“Together, we’re committed to delivering 10GW of new compute capacity through Stargate — one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects in U.S. history,” OpenAI and SoftBank said in a joint statement to CNBC.

The latest announcement comes just one day after a report from The Wall Street Journal highlighted early-stage challenges with the project, including scaled-back timelines and slower-than-expected site development. Despite these hurdles, OpenAI says construction is progressing rapidly, and that the project remains on track for major milestones.

Massive Job Creation and Economic Impact

According to OpenAI, the 4.5 GW expansion will generate more than 100,000 jobs across construction, engineering, and operations roles. This is in addition to the “thousands” of jobs already created through Stargate I, the project’s first data center in Abilene, Texas.

The facility is already partially operational. Oracle began delivering the first Nvidia GB200 racks to the site last month, a significant milestone in bringing high-performance AI compute online. Roles at the site include specialized positions for electricians, equipment operators, and advanced technicians.

Sam Altman: “This Is a Gigantic Project”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasized the scale and ambition of Stargate in a post on X, writing: “Easy to throw around numbers, but this is a gigantic infrastructure project.”

Indeed, few technology initiatives in recent memory match the scale, investment, or urgency of Stargate. The project is not only a technological bet on AI’s future but also a political and economic statement about where that future will be built.

Reimagining Data Center Design

As demand for advanced AI capabilities accelerates, OpenAI says Stargate isn’t just about building more data centers — it’s about rethinking how they’re designed. In its Tuesday blog post, the company noted that teams are moving with urgency on site assessments and exploring new design paradigms to make AI infrastructure more efficient, scalable, and accessible.

With its newest expansion, Stargate is positioning itself as a cornerstone of the U.S. AI economy — one that promises not only massive compute power but also significant domestic employment and innovation over the next decade.