Newly inagurated US president Donald Trump unveiled a massive joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank that aims to invest up to $500 billion in artificial intelligence infrastructure across the country over the next four years.

The project, called Stargate, will begin with an initial $100 billion investment to construct data centres and computing infrastructure needed to power next-generation AI development. Trump claimed the initiative would create 100,000 jobs "almost immediately".

Speaking from the White House alongside tech industry leaders, Trump framed the announcement as an early win for his new administration. "This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential under a new president," he said.

Construction has already begun on the venture's first data centre in Abilene, Texas. Oracle chairman Larry Ellison revealed that twenty facilities are planned, each spanning half a million square feet.

The partnership structure gives SoftBank ultimate financial responsibility while OpenAI takes operational control. Abu Dhabi's AI-focused state fund MGX and Oracle are also providing funding, with technology partnerships from Arm, Microsoft and Nvidia.

OpenAI's chief executive officer Sam Altman, who attended Trump's inauguration, expressed strong support for the initiative. "I think this will be the most important project of this era," he said. "We wouldn't be able to do this without you, Mr. President."

The announcement comes just one day after Trump reversed his predecessor Joe Biden's executive order on AI safety standards, signalling a dramatic shift in US artificial intelligence policy.

SoftBank chairman Masayoshi Son, who will chair the joint venture, tied the investment directly to Trump's election victory, telling the president: "We wouldn't have decided to do this unless you won."

The initiative faces significant infrastructure challenges, particularly regarding power supply. The North American Electric Reliability Corporation warned in December that about half of the US faces increased risk of power shortfalls in the next decade due to rising demand from AI data centres and electrification.

Trump addressed these concerns, stating: "They have to produce a lot of electricity, and we'll make it possible for them to get that production done very easily at their own plants."

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