OpenAI is reportedly in talks with TSMC, the world's largest and most advanced chip manufacturer, to produce its own in-house AI chips. The company aims to reduce its dependence on NVIDIA and is preparing to develop its first proprietary chips.
Sources indicate that OpenAI plans to complete the engineering and design processes for the chip within a few months and transition to production in the second half of the year. Although no official statement has been made, Reuters reported that OpenAI is collaborating with TSMC and preparing for the "tape-out" testing phase.
The company reportedly aims to start mass production at TSMC factories by 2026. It is estimated that OpenAI will allocate around $100 million for the tape-out phase, which is the stage where the chip design is finalized for production. The high cost of this phase is due to the extensive testing conducted to detect manufacturing errors. During tape-out, compatibility issues for integrated circuits or printed circuit boards are tested and the production process is optimized.
