OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar says company is not seeking government backstop

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said late Wednesday that the AI ​​startup is not seeking government support for its infrastructure commitments. previous comments He appeared on stage during the Wall Street Journal’s Tech Live event.

At the event, Friar said OpenAI wants to create an ecosystem of banks, private capital and a federal “backstop” or “guarantee” that can help the company fund its investments in cutting-edge chips. But one LinkedIn post Late Wednesday, Friar softened his stance.

“I used the word ‘backstop’ and that blurred the issue,” Friar wrote. “As the full clip of my answer shows, I was emphasizing that America’s strength in technology will come from building true industrial capacity, which requires the private sector and government to play their roles.”

OpenAI has signed more than $1.4 trillion in infrastructure deals in recent months to build the data centers it says are needed to meet growing demand. The deals have raised questions about how the company can afford such large commitments.

In September, Friar told CNBC that OpenAI expects to generate about $13 billion in revenue this year. But in a podcast over the weekend, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman told the investor: Brad Gerstner said the company “makes a lot more revenue than that.”

Altman became angry when Gerstner asked how he could meet his commitment to spend more than $1 trillion, given OpenAI’s revenue.

Altman said, “Brad, if you want to sell your shares, I will find you a buyer.” “Sufficient.”

In his LinkedIn post, Friar emphasized that the US government will be a very important partner for the company as it works to build its infrastructure.

“As I said, the U.S. government has been incredibly forward-thinking and truly understands that AI is a national strategic asset,” Friar wrote.

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