Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has vehemently dismissed a recent Wall Street Journal report claiming his company's ambitious $100 billion investment in OpenAI was stalled or being scaled back, branding the allegations as "nonsense" on Saturday.
The two artificial intelligence powerhouses initially announced plans last September for Nvidia to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, alongside building 10 gigawatts of crucial computing infrastructure for the generative AI leader.
However, the WSJ's late Friday report suggested that Nvidia was reconsidering its substantial commitment. The publication claimed Huang had begun emphasizing the non-binding nature of the deal and had privately voiced criticisms of OpenAI's business strategy, expressing concerns about rising competitors such as Anthropic and Google.
The report further indicated a re-evaluation of the relationship between Nvidia and OpenAI, though not a complete severance, with discussions reportedly shifting towards a smaller equity investment of "mere tens of billions of dollars" from Nvidia.
An OpenAI spokesperson, in a statement to the WSJ, affirmed that the companies are "actively working through the details of our partnership." The spokesperson added that Nvidia "has underpinned our breakthroughs from the start, powers our systems today, and will remain central as we scale what comes next," highlighting the ongoing importance of their collaboration.
Speaking to reporters in Taipei, as reported by Bloomberg, Huang directly addressed the speculation. He insisted that Nvidia will "definitely participate" in OpenAI's latest funding round, asserting, "because it’s such a good investment."
Huang further elaborated on his confidence in the AI firm, stating, "We will invest a great deal of money. I believe in OpenAI. The work that they do is incredible. They’re one of the most consequential companies of our time."
While Huang declined to specify the exact amount Nvidia would contribute, he deferred to OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, saying, "Let [Sam Altman] announce how much he’s going to raise — it’s for him to decide."
This comes amidst reports that OpenAI is seeking to raise a monumental $100 billion funding round, as reported by the WSJ in December. The New York Times recently added that Nvidia, Amazon, Microsoft, and SoftBank are all reportedly in discussions regarding potential investments in the AI pioneer.
