Fidji Simo, OpenAI's soon-to-be Head of Apps, stated that she wants to expand ChatGPT's user base to billions. Speaking remotely at Paris' VivaTech summit on Thursday, Simo said, "ChatGPT reaches hundreds of millions of people, but fundamentally, AI should change lives for everyone. We need to be reaching billions."

Simo, who was appointed to the role in May, noted that as AI applications in productivity, healthcare, and education grow, so will demand for AI agents and devices. As Head of Apps, she will take over several operational responsibilities currently managed by Sam Altman, including finance and product development.

OpenAI is at the center of an ambitious initiative to reshape the AI landscape while accelerating U.S. leadership in the emerging technology sector. The Stargate project, a collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, aims to raise up to $500 billion to build large-scale AI infrastructure across the U.S.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman explained that the project's name comes from an early data center design resembling the iconic ring-shaped portal from the Stargate film and TV series. After months of pitching the idea to investors, Stargate began taking shape last year. In an interview, Altman shared his vision for how this massive AI infrastructure leap could impact technology, industries, and the world.

According to media reports on Wednesday (June 11), ChatGPT operator OpenAI has initiated discussions with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF), India's Reliance Industries, and existing shareholder UAE's MGX regarding its $40 billion fundraising plan.

The company is seeking additional capital to advance its model development and ambitious infrastructure project, "Stargate." Sources familiar with the matter indicate that each of these investors may contribute at least several hundred million dollars.

In late March, OpenAI launched this funding round targeting $40 billion, led by SoftBank Group, at a valuation of $300 billion.

Earlier this year, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with India's Minister of Electronics and Information Technology, Ashwini Vaishnaw, to discuss plans for building a low-cost AI ecosystem in India.

Two insiders revealed that Altman also planned to visit the UAE to discuss fundraising with Abu Dhabi investment group MGX. The UAE is accelerating its AI push to compete with neighboring Qatar and Saudi Arabia, investing heavily in the sector. Local officials view this as a strategic move to bolster global influence and maintain economic advantages amid declining future oil demand.

Additionally, OpenAI has reportedly held talks to secure at least $100 million each from investment firms Coatue Management and Founders Fund as part of the $40 billion round. The company is also expected to raise another $17 billion by 2027.

OpenAI's confidence in fundraising stems from its strong technological capabilities and products. Notably, its most advanced model, o3-pro, officially launched this week, following the April rollout of o3 and o4-mini on ChatGPT.

In its release notes for o3-pro, OpenAI stated, "We recommend using this model for complex problems where higher reliability is required and users can tolerate wait times of several minutes." Test data shows that o3-pro outperforms both o3 and o1-pro.

A key question surrounding projects like Stargate is whether companies like OpenAI truly require such vast computing resources. Chinese firm DeepSeek and other companies focused on efficient AI inference models are challenging the "scaling laws" that initially inspired Stargate.

But Altman remains unfazed. He thinks there are many great models today, and great models will become abundant. He also adds that he believes OpenAI's flagship products will maintain an advantage because far more people use ChatGPT than any other AI service, and this will become an even bigger advantage over time as OpenAI rolls out many new features.