Sam Altman Considers Rockets and Space Data Centers to Compete with Elon Musk

The Wall Street Journal reported that Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, is exploring the creation or acquisition of a rocket company. This move aims to establish massive data centers in space, placing him in direct competition with Elon Musk, head of SpaceX.

Details of Altman's Space Plan:

• Goal: The plan is designed to launch power-intensive data centers into Earth's orbit to support the AI technologies developed by OpenAI. This ambition reflects his desire to overcome the constraints of terrestrial energy and infrastructure.

• Negotiations: Altman previously held advanced talks with the startup "Stoke Space," intending to inject billions of dollars for a controlling stake, though these discussions later stalled.

Background of Internal and External Competition:

• "Red Alert" Status: Altman's focus on space coincides with a "red alert" situation inside OpenAI, due to increasing competition from other AI models, especially Google's "Gemini 3," which recently outperformed ChatGPT in AI tests.

• Rivalry with Musk: The anticipated move into the space sector represents a new escalation in the rivalry between Altman and Musk, who were former co-founders of OpenAI before becoming key rivals in the advanced technology and AI race.