By Matthew Friedman 
Photo Credit: Carlos Barria | Reuters
Immediately after assuming office, President Trump began enacting his vision for change and development in the United States. Waves of executive orders and structural changes define what his administration has coined as a new Golden Age for the country. President Trump has focused his goals on global technological superiority over rivaling competitors like China. On January 22nd, just two days into office, he announced a joint artificial intelligence (AI) venture between the U.S. government and several private partners.
The venture, named The Stargate Project, partners the U.S. government with leading AI and technology companies such as OpenAI, Oracle, and Japanese financier Softbank. OpenAI officially categorizes Stargate as a means to build “new AI infrastructure” across the U.S. over the next four years. Accordingly, OpenAI announced partnerships with key technology forces including Microsoft, Nvidia, ARM, and Oracle while it will maintain operational control. To that end, the scale of the project is worth about $500 billion, with an immediate $100 billion invested to start. Through his administration’s focus on AI development, President Trump hopes to ensure American dominance in the industry.
In the venture announcement, President Trump brought in OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Oracle CEO Larry Ellison to speak on the future of Stargate at the White House. Attention was on Sam Altman who was a longtime staunch Democrat. Despite his newfound support of President Trump, Altman advocated against the president’s leadership during his first administration. During the first Trump Administration in 2016, Altman compared President Trump to the likes of dictators, like Hitler, and called his presidency an “unprecedented threat” to democracy. Regardless of these past remarks, Altman spent his time at the White House praising the president’s reelection by stating, “We couldn’t do this without you.” Altman has also shown a shift from his previous anti-Trump stance by donating to the Trump-Vance Inaugural Committee and attending the swearing-in ceremony of President Trump.
Oracle CEO, Larry Ellison, highlighted potential health developments in his discussion of Stargate. He primarily referenced AI’s ability to create customized and personalized vaccines. Ellison even said AI’s developments through the program could enable cures for cancer and other diseases.
Softbank CEO and major financier of the deal, Masayoshi Son, praised President Trump. Masayoshi Son has committed $100 billion in U.S. investment throughout the president’s term. He is a longtime ally of the president, previously committing to a $50 billion investment into various U.S. companies during the first Trump Administration.
Competition in the AI market increased following the release of the Chinese AI software known as DeepSeek. DeepSeek’s ability to perform at the same level as OpenAI’s while accumulating a fraction of the cost created large concern inside the U.S. technology sector. At the time of DeepSeek’s announcement, Nvidia’s stock crashed though it has since recovered. DeepSeek’s presence has established intense competition between American and Chinese development, both racing for AI superiority. Sam Altman defined DeepSeek’s entrance into the tech market as “legit invigorating,” highlighting the future competition between the two nations.
Opposing these developments is Elon Musk who is now one of President Trump’s closest allies, donors, and head of the newly formed White House division, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). Musk initially founded OpenAI along with Sam Altman in 2015. After disagreements, such as Altman making the company for-profit against Musk’s vision of it being not-for-profit, Musk has formed a personal feud with Altman who has now amassed billions of dollars through his stake in OpenAI. Following the announcement of Stargate, Musk took to X calling Altman a “swindler” and a “liar” amongst other names and claims. Altman fired back, intensifying the years-long feud between the two. The feud calls attention to the polar opposite AI visions of Altman and Musk but both men have extraordinary influence and power within the Trump White House. When asked about the situation, the president largely dismissed it, saying Musk simply “doesn’t like” Altman.
The Trump Administration is moving forward quickly with its plans on many different issues. Stargate is one of the president’s attempts to ensure global technology dominance and defeat Chinese competition. AI is a new technology and its development will continue to make big advancements and send shockwaves through politics and the economy. Time will tell if Stargate lives up to its investment and promise.