Washington, 22 January 2025 (dpa/MIA) - Three top technology companies will join forces and invest $500 billion to grow artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure in the United States, the companies announced on Tuesday.

The new partnership, Stargate, will be formed by OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank.

OpenAI chief executive Sam Altman, SoftBank's Masayoshi Son and Oracle chairman Larry Ellison appeared at the White House alongside President Donald Trump to announce the partnership, which Trump called the "largest AI infrastructure project in history."

Stargate would create more than 100,000 jobs in the US, Trump said.

"This monumental undertaking is a resounding declaration of confidence in America's potential under a new president," he said.

OpenAI said the companies would invest $100 billion in the project to begin with.

"This infrastructure will secure American leadership in AI, create hundreds of thousands of American jobs, and generate massive economic benefit for the entire world," OpenAI said in a statement.

The project would "provide a strategic capability to protect the national security of America" and its allies, the statement added.

"All of us look forward to continuing to build and develop AI — and in particular AGI (artificial general intelligence) — for the benefit of all of humanity. We believe that this new step is critical on the path, and will enable creative people to figure out how to use AI to elevate humanity."

Ellison said 10 data centres for the project were under construction in Texas, with more planned.

MIA file photo