OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has explored acquiring or investing in a space company as part of a broader vision to establish artificial intelligence (AI) data centers in orbit, potentially putting him in the same arena as Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Richard Branson, according to The Wall Street Journal.
Altman engaged in discussions with at least one rocket manufacturer, including Stoke Space, last summer, according to the report.
Stoke Space, founded by former Blue Origin employees, is developing fully reusable rockets, similar to Musk’s SpaceX.
Proposals reportedly included OpenAI taking a controlling stake in the company, with investment amounts potentially reaching billions of dollars.
The moves come as OpenAI faces growing pressure to compete with AI rivals. Internally, Altman has instructed employees to enhance ChatGPT’s capabilities, following several large computing deals that have raised questions about the firm’s funding strategy for its technology build-out.
Altman has expressed interest in expanding AI infrastructure beyond Earth. In a recent podcast, he said, “Over time, I think many places around the world will be covered with data centers,” underscoring his focus on establishing AI operations in space. Last month, Bezos also revealed plans to create AI data centers in orbit.