OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank unveiled plans to build five new AI data center sites in the United States under the Stargate program, bringing the initiative’s planned capacity to nearly 7 gigawatts and more than $400 billion in investment over the next three years.

The new facilities mark a significant step toward the $500 billion, 10-gigawatt infrastructure goal announced in January, now expected to be achieved by the end of 2025 — ahead of schedule.

In July, OpenAI and Oracle signed an agreement to develop up to 4.5 gigawatts of Stargate capacity, representing a $300 billion partnership over the next five years.

Three of the new sites will be developed under Oracle’s leadership:

Additionally, a potential 600-megawatt expansion is planned near the flagship Stargate site in Abilene, Texas, which is already operational on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). Oracle began delivering the first NVIDIA GB200 racks in June, allowing early training and inference workloads that are advancing OpenAI’s next-generation research. Combined with the other new facilities, these projects could provide more than 5.5 gigawatts of AI compute power.

The initiative is also projected to create over 25,000 onsite jobs, alongside tens of thousands of indirect roles nationwide.

The other two sites are being developed in partnership with SoftBank and will contribute 1.5 gigawatts of capacity over the next 18 months.

Together, these projects demonstrate SoftBank’s strategy to scale AI compute infrastructure through innovative design and energy expertise.

The five locations were chosen from more than 300 proposals submitted by over 30 states, following a nationwide review launched in January.

Today’s announcement marks the first wave of selected sites, with additional U.S. projects expected as Stargate surpasses its $500 billion investment milestone.

The announcement included statements from several executives driving the project forward:

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI:

“AI can only fulfill its promise if we build the compute to power it. That compute is the key to ensuring everyone can benefit from AI and to unlocking future breakthroughs. We’re already making historic progress toward that goal through Stargate and moving quickly not just to meet its initial commitment, but to lay the foundation for what comes next.”

Clay Magouyrk, CEO of Oracle:

“Oracle’s reliable, scalable, and secure AI infrastructure is helping OpenAI rapidly scale its business. To meet this enormous demand, we continue to expand OCI’s footprint at an unrivaled pace to deliver the most performant and cost-effective AI training and inferencing.”

Masayoshi Son, Chairman and CEO of SoftBank Group Corp:

“Stargate is harnessing SoftBank’s innovative data center design and energy expertise to deliver the scalable compute that powers AI’s future. Together with OpenAI, Arm, and our Stargate partners, we are paving the way for a new era where AI advances humanity.”

Q: What is Stargate?
A: Stargate is OpenAI’s AI infrastructure platform, developed with partners including Oracle and SoftBank, aiming to deploy 10 gigawatts of compute capacity in the U.S.

Q: How many new sites were announced?
A: Five new U.S. sites, located in Texas, New Mexico, Ohio, and the Midwest, were confirmed.

Q: How much investment is involved?
A: The five sites represent over $400 billion in planned investment within three years, contributing to the overall $500 billion commitment.

Q: What role does Oracle play?
A: Oracle is leading three sites and expanding the Abilene flagship campus, adding more than 5.5 gigawatts of compute capacity.

Q: How will this affect U.S. jobs?
A: The projects are expected to create over 25,000 onsite jobs, plus tens of thousands of additional roles in supply chains and local communities.

The expansion of Stargate is more than a construction project — it represents a strategic effort to secure the compute power that underpins AI leadership. By accelerating toward a $500 billion, 10-gigawatt target, OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank are building the physical backbone needed for the next generation of AI breakthroughs.

For the U.S., this scale of investment is a jobs engine and a national competitiveness play. With more than 25,000 onsite roles and tens of thousands of indirect jobs, Stargate is tying the AI boom directly to local economies across multiple states. The project also signals that compute is now as critical to global influence as semiconductors or energy resources, putting pressure on rivals abroad to match capacity.

At the industry level, Stargate shows how AI development and infrastructure are converging. Research labs like OpenAI can only scale models if they secure vast, reliable compute power, while cloud providers and energy partners need anchor customers to justify record-setting buildouts. This alignment is likely to shape how future AI platforms are funded, built, and governed.

If delivered ahead of schedule, Stargate won’t just fulfill its initial promise — it could reset expectations for AI investment strategy worldwide, making large-scale infrastructure the new standard for staying competitive in artificial intelligence.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.