ChatGPT maker OpenAI may be looking at Canada for data centre partnerships. This comes after putting its Stargate UK project on hold earlier this year. According to a report by Bloomberg, George Osborne, OpenAI’s managing director and head of OpenAI for Countries said that the company is exploring Canada because of the availability of energy and land.Speaking at Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney’s investment summit in Toronto, Osbourne also praised the government’s approach to artificial intelligence (AI) adoption. He described Carney’s strategy as “one of the clearer plans for AI adoption of a western government“ and called his medium and long-term plan “very impressive“. The move comes as OpenAI continues looking for locations where large AI infrastructure projects can be built and operated.His comments came during Carney’s investment summit, held in Toronto this week. The event brought around 100 major investment firms to Canada as Carney seeks to attract $1 trillion of investment over five years. Osborne has a connection with Carney that goes back more than a decade. As Britain’s chancellor, he hired Carney in 2012 to become governor of the Bank of England.
Why OpenAI paused Stargate UK
OpenAI suspended its UK Stargate project in April, saying it would proceed once regulation and energy costs allowed for long-term infrastructure investment. The proposed facility was expected to start with 8,000 Nvidia GPUs in north-east England and eventually reach 31,000 GPUs.The project also drew scrutiny over its preparation. The Guardian reported that OpenAI had not visited the proposed site of the flagship project, while a £1.9 billion contract publicised by the UK government had not been signed.Electricity costs were part of the calculation: British industrial electricity prices are around four times higher than those in the US, Finland, Norway and Sweden.
Norway offers another model
OpenAI has already moved ahead with Stargate infrastructure in Norway, where cost wasn’t a barrier.Stargate Norway is being built around hydropower in Narvik, with an initial capacity of 230 megawatts. The project is targeting 100,000 Nvidia GPUs by the end of this year which underscores how directly GPU ambitions now hinge on power access.
Europe is also chasing AI investment
OpenAI’s search for infrastructure comes as European governments compete for similar projects. The European Union has launched a gigafactories call seeking more than €20 billion in private investment across up to seven sites, with bids closing November 12. France has already submitted a $10 billion proposal.