OpenAI explores collaboration with Japan's semiconductor industry

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OpenAI COO Brad Lightcap says, "Our priority is making sure that we don't end up in a world where there's so much demand for AI, but we don't have enough capacity." He was speaking in Tokyo on April 15. (Photo by Yuji Murakami)

KAZUYUKI OKUDAIRA and AKIRA OIKAWA, Nikkei staff writers

April 15, 2024 18:57 JST

TOKYO -- OpenAI, known for its ChatGPT generative artificial intelligence platform, will explore possible partnerships in Japan's semiconductor industry to source the high-performance chips AI depends on, Brad Lightcap, the company's COO, indicated during an interview with Nikkei in Tokyo on Monday.

High-performance graphics processing units are essential for the learning process of generative AI. But supplies of these GPUs from Nvidia, which controls about 80% of the market, are tight, and Lightcap says it is "really important" that the industry avoids a shortage as he expects "demand to be robust into the next few years."