Recently, its next-generation AI infrastructure project codenamed "Stargate" (Stargate) announced a $3 billion debt financing from Blue Owl, a top-tier alternative asset management company on Wall Street. This funding will be specifically used to build a super-large AI data center in New Mexico, USA, providing the computational foundation for the GPT series models, Sora video generation, and future AI agents.

"Stargate" is more than just a data center; it is the cornerstone of the AI ecosystem

Since its launch, the Stargate project has been seen as the core engine for OpenAI to overcome computing bottlenecks. Unlike traditional cloud computing facilities, this data center will integrate customized AI chips, liquid-cooled supercomputing clusters, and green energy systems, specifically designed for training and inference of trillion-parameter models. Once completed, its single point of computing power is expected to support tens of millions of users simultaneously calling advanced AI services, significantly alleviating the limitations on free quotas caused by insufficient computing power in products like Sora.

This investment by Blue Owl, a private credit giant managing over $100 billion in assets, sends a clear signal: top-tier capital is shifting from "betting on models" to "betting on computing infrastructure." In a statement, Blue Owl pointed out that AI has entered an "infrastructure-intensive" phase, and a stable, efficient, and scalable computing network will become a key variable in determining the speed of technological implementation.

Strategic breakthrough under financial pressure

This financing is particularly critical for OpenAI. Facing a dual pressure of $9 billion annual negative cash flow and Sora burning $15 million daily, obtaining funds through project financing rather than equity dilution can accelerate infrastructure deployment while avoiding valuation fluctuations. New Mexico has become a new hub for AI computing in the United States due to its low electricity prices, dry climate, and policy support, with Microsoft and Google also heavily investing there.

Far-reaching industry impact: The computing power arms race escalates

The advancement of Stargate will further raise the barriers in the AI competition. Smaller model companies may rely more on cloud vendors, while leading players will accelerate the construction of a "model-computing application" closed loop. Analysts point out that in the next 2-3 years, multiple "AI supercomputing islands" similar to Stargate will emerge globally, and the ability to control underlying computing power will become a dividing line between "AI platforms" and "AI users."

AIbase believes that OpenAI's move is not only a technical gamble but also a redefinition of its business model—perhaps the core asset of future AI companies will no longer be algorithms, but computing pipelines and energy efficiency. When the "Stargate" lights up in New Mexico, it does not just illuminate the data center, but also opens a new era of infrastructure for the AGI age.