OpenAI reportedly planning to build its first AI chip in 2026
TechCrunchNOV 2024
This partnership makes perfect business sense for both companies. OpenAI desperately needs to diversify away from expensive Nvidia chips and Microsoft's limited cloud capacity, especially with ChatGPT's massive user base driving up inference costs. Google's TPUs offer a more cost-effective alternative that could save OpenAI billions while also giving Google a high-profile customer win.
The deal exposes concerning vulnerabilities in OpenAI's strategy. Relying on a direct competitor for critical infrastructure creates obvious risks, and Google's decision to withhold its most powerful chips shows they're not truly committed partners. This move could backfire if Google decides to cut access or prioritize its own Gemini models.
There's a 50% chance that OpenAI will announce GPT-5 before Aug. 23, 2025, according to the Metaculus prediction community.