OpenAI's Sam Altman Urges U.S. to Expand Chips Act Tax Credit for AI Infrastructure

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has urged the U.S. government to expand eligibility for the Chips Act tax credit to cover artificial intelligence infrastructure, reports Reuters. The request follows an October 27 letter from OpenAI’s Chief Global Affairs Officer, Chris Lehane, to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, asking that the Advanced Manufacturing Investment Credit (AMIC) be extended to AI server production, data centers, and grid components.

The AMIC currently provides a 35% tax rebate for semiconductor manufacturing investments under the 2022 Chips and Science Act. OpenAI’s proposal would make the incentive available to AI data center builders and suppliers of electrical grid materials such as transformers and electrical steel. The company argues that expanding the program would lower costs and accelerate private investment in AI infrastructure.

Altman said on X that broader U.S. re-industrialization — spanning factories, turbines, transformers, and steel — would benefit the AI industry and others. He clarified that the proposed tax credits differ from federal loan guarantees, which the company has discussed separately with the government to support chip factory construction. OpenAI has committed to spending $1.4 trillion over the next eight years on computing resources to meet growing demand for AI products such as ChatGPT.