OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank have unveiled plans to massively expand their joint “Stargate” AI data center initiative, announcing the construction of five large-scale campuses across the United States. Valued at $500 billion, the expansion represents one of the most ambitious infrastructure projects ever undertaken in artificial intelligence.
Building the Backbone of Next-Gen AI
The Stargate project is designed to deliver unprecedented computational capacity to support trillion-parameter AI models, generative systems, and real-time applications across industries. As AI adoption accelerates in healthcare, finance, robotics, and national defense, demand for high-performance, sustainable data centers has surged.
Strategic U.S. Expansion
The five new campuses will be strategically located to optimize connectivity, energy access, and redundancy. Each facility will feature cutting-edge chips, advanced cooling systems, and renewable energy integration to meet sustainability goals while addressing the mounting energy demands of AI workloads.
“AI is moving faster than infrastructure can keep up. Stargate is about building the backbone for the next decade of intelligent systems,” an Oracle executive said at the announcement.
Balancing Power and Sustainability
Global reports warn that AI infrastructure could strain power grids and require trillions in new annual revenue. To address these challenges, the Stargate centers will adopt green energy and high-efficiency designs, aligning with global calls for sustainable AI development.
National Competitiveness and Global Context
The expansion highlights the U.S. drive to remain competitive in AI as China and the EU ramp up sovereign infrastructure investments. SoftBank sees Stargate as a platform not only for powering OpenAI’s frontier models but also for enabling startups, enterprises, and researchers to access world-class AI infrastructure via Oracle’s cloud.
Timeline and Impact
Construction is scheduled to begin in 2026, with phased rollouts starting in late 2027. Once complete, the Stargate network could rank among the world’s most powerful AI-focused data center systems, setting a new benchmark for scale, performance, and capability.
