OpenAI Fuels US AI Hardware Boom with Flurry of Partnership Deals
Multi-billion dollar agreements with Cerebras, Foxconn, and SoftBank signal a strategic push to build a domestic supply chain for AI and robotics.
OpenAI is accelerating a strategic pivot from software to silicon, unleashing a series of high-value partnerships aimed at building a formidable, U.S.-based hardware infrastructure for its next generation of artificial intelligence and robotics.
The initiative, highlighted by a multi-billion dollar deal with AI computer firm Cerebras Systems, signals a massive new customer entering the domestic hardware market and a concerted effort to diversify its supply chain beyond its primary reliance on Nvidia.
In a landmark agreement, OpenAI has signed a deal valued at over $10 billion with Cerebras Systems to secure 750 megawatts of AI inference computing power. The multi-year deployment, set to begin in early 2026, marks one of the most significant investments in specialized AI hardware and provides a major boost to competitors in the AI chip space.
This move is part of a broader strategy to onshore key manufacturing and development capabilities. Underscoring this push, OpenAI is collaborating with manufacturing giant Foxconn to co-design and produce essential AI data center hardware—including racks, cabling, and cooling systems—directly within the United States. The collaboration with Foxconn aims to create a more resilient and responsive domestic supply chain, a critical factor as AI models grow in complexity and demand for computational power soars.
Further cementing its infrastructure ambitions, OpenAI has entered into a $1 billion joint venture with SoftBank Group to develop and operate AI-dedicated data centers in the U.S. through SB Energy. A planned 1.2-gigawatt facility in Texas is part of this investment, tackling the enormous energy bottleneck that has become a central challenge for the AI industry.
These moves collectively address OpenAI's strategic need to control its hardware stack, mitigate global supply chain risks, and secure the vast computational resources required for its expansion into robotics and dedicated AI devices. The company's original search for U.S.-based suppliers has now materialized into a clear, multi-pronged investment strategy.
For the semiconductor industry, OpenAI's diversification is a significant development. While Nvidia remains a crucial partner, the company is actively integrating chips from AMD and collaborating with Broadcom on custom silicon solutions, fostering a more competitive landscape. This relieves pressure on a single supplier and provides OpenAI with tailored options for different AI workloads, from large-scale training to efficient inference on devices.
The series of announcements provides a powerful tailwind for the U.S. tech sector, aligning with a national push for "reindustrialization" centered on critical technologies like artificial intelligence. By investing heavily in domestic manufacturing and data infrastructure, OpenAI is not only securing its own future but also catalyzing growth across a swath of adjacent industries, from specialized hardware and enterprise software to renewable energy.