OpenAI CEO Sam Altman renews calls for the U.S. to expand Chips Act tax credits, pushing to include AI infrastructure as America races to lead the global artificial intelligence industry.
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| OpenAI’s Sam Altman doubles down on calls for a Chips Act expansion, signaling rising stakes in the U.S. effort to dominate global AI infrastructure. Image: CH |
WASHINGTON, United States — November 10, 2025:
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on Friday intensified the company’s lobbying efforts for the United States to broaden the scope of its Chips Act tax incentives, underscoring the growing convergence between artificial intelligence policy and national industrial strategy.
The push comes as the U.S. accelerates efforts to secure its position as a global leader in AI, with infrastructure—data centers, chips, and energy capacity—emerging as the backbone of technological dominance.
Altman’s comments, posted on X, followed an October 27 letter by Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, to White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. The letter called for an extension of eligibility for the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC)—a key provision of the Chips and Science Act—to cover AI server production, data centers, and grid components.
The AMIC currently targets semiconductor manufacturing to strengthen domestic chip production and reduce dependence on foreign supply chains. OpenAI argues that the next stage of competitiveness depends on expanding this industrial base to encompass the full AI ecosystem.
“We think U.S. re-industrialization across the entire stack — fabs, turbines, transformers, steel, and much more — will help everyone in our industry, and other industries (including us),” Altman said on Friday.
Altman, however, clarified that the request is not about government loans or bailouts. “The tax credit is super different than loan guarantees to OpenAI,” he added, addressing earlier reports that the company had discussed federal loan guarantees to help fund chip factory construction, but not data centers.
OpenAI’s ambitions are monumental. Altman revealed that the company plans to invest $1.4 trillion over the next eight years in computational infrastructure—a scale of investment that could redefine both the technology and energy sectors.
This massive buildout reflects a wider trend: Big Tech’s scramble to construct data centers and develop advanced chips to fuel AI models like ChatGPT and its successors. The demand for computational power has surged to historic levels, prompting calls for public-private partnerships to ensure sustainable growth.
Yet, not all in Washington are aligned with Altman’s vision. David Sacks, the White House’s AI and crypto czar, recently stated there would be “no federal bailout for AI,” signaling caution against extending government benefits too far into corporate territory.
Altman’s latest intervention highlights a deeper tension in U.S. AI strategy—balancing national competitiveness with corporate accountability. Expanding the Chips Act’s scope could spur domestic industrial revival and secure America’s digital infrastructure. But it also raises questions about who truly benefits from government incentives—innovative ecosystems or dominant private players.
For the Biden administration, the decision could shape the next decade of technological leadership. Extending tax credits to AI-related infrastructure might anchor the U.S. as a long-term powerhouse in the global AI economy. However, it could also risk consolidating power among a few firms that already wield unprecedented influence.
In short, OpenAI’s appeal is about far more than tax credits—it’s about the future architecture of American industry in an era defined by artificial intelligence.