OpenAI mentioned the possibility of a government guarantee for AI chip procurement costs and, as controversy grew, CEO Sam Altman directly clarified, saying, "We do not want government support." The U.S. government also drew a line, saying, "There will be no bailout for AI corporations."
On the 6th (local time), David Sacks, Chairperson of the White House President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, said on the social network X (formerly Twitter), "There will be no federal bailout for AI corporations," adding, "The United States has at least five corporations with major AI models, so even if one fails, others can take its place."
This is interpreted as the government's official response to OpenAI Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Sarah Friar's comment the day before that "the government could support by guaranteeing AI chip procurement costs." Chairperson Sacks noted, "I don't think anyone has actually requested a bailout," and pointed out, "OpenAI leadership should clarify their remarks."
Sacks said, "We want to make permitting and power generation easier," adding, "The goal is to rapidly build AI infrastructure without raising residential electricity rates." It is interpreted to mean the government will support AI infrastructure development but will not provide direct financial support to specific corporations.
As the controversy grew, CFO Friar explained on the social network LinkedIn, "OpenAI did not ask for a government backstop for infrastructure investments," adding, "We emphasized that the private sector and the government must each play their roles for the United States to strengthen its technological competitiveness."
However, as the controversy continued, CEO Altman personally stepped in to contain it. He said on X, "We neither have nor want a government guarantee for OpenAI data centers," adding, "The government should not pick winners and losers, nor should it bail out failed corporations with taxpayer money."
Altman added, however, "It is desirable for the government to directly build and own AI infrastructure for the public good," adding, "This should serve governmental purposes, not the interests of private corporations."
He said, "OpenAI's annual revenue is expected to surpass $20 billion this year and grow to the hundreds of billions of dollars by 2030," adding, "We plan to raise funds by selling enterprise services and computing capacity directly."
Amid intensifying competition in the AI industry, the controversy has reignited debate over the division of roles and scope of responsibility between the government and the private sector.