Microsoft, the largest investor in OpenAI and its principal cloud partner, is no longer the exclusive provider of computing capacity for the AI startup. OpenAI will now have the option to seek additional capacity from other providers, with Microsoft retaining a right of first refusal, the company said in a blog post on Tuesday. The shift comes as former President Donald Trump announced the Stargate Project, a joint venture between OpenAI, Oracle, SoftBank, and other partners. The project aims to invest $100 billion initially and up to $500 billion over four years in U.S. AI infrastructure.
