Project Stargate: Trump Administration Partners with Tech Giants for $600 Billion AI Infrastructure Push

Former President Donald Trump has revoked the 2023 executive order issued by Joe Biden, which sought to establish security measures around artificial intelligence (AI) systems to mitigate risks to national security. In its place, Trump unveiled Project Stargate, a major initiative aimed at boosting AI infrastructure in the United States, with private sector giants like OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank committing up to $600 billion to the effort.

Biden’s original executive order had mandated AI developers, including those working on large language models like ChatGPT, to create safety standards and share findings with the federal government to guard against potential threats such as AI-driven cyberattacks, bioweapons, and critical infrastructure vulnerabilities. 

Under Project Stargate, SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son pledged $100 billion, with OpenAI’s Sam Altman and Oracle’s Larry Ellison each contributing the same amount to establish a dedicated AI infrastructure company. Other industry leaders, including Microsoft, Nvidia, and Arm, are partnering as technology providers. Ellison announced that new data centers in Texas are already under construction as part of the project.

While many industry leaders, like Vantiq CEO Marty Sprinzen, praised the initiative, some expressed concerns. Elon Musk questioned whether these companies have the resources to fulfill their financial commitments, and cybersecurity experts like Max Shier, CISO at Optiv, cautioned against leaving AI oversight solely to private enterprise. 

Shier argues for federal oversight that balances innovation with ethical standards, citing frameworks from organizations like NIST and ISO as potential models. Without proper guardrails, he warns, public safety and national security could be at risk.