OpenAI Eyes Argentina for USD 25 Billion AI Data Center Project

By Estudio Chaloupka

OpenAI, the U.S. artificial intelligence company behind ChatGPT, is exploring the construction of a massive data center in Argentina in partnership with a local energy firm. The proposed investment — estimated at up to USD 25 billion — would be one of the largest technology projects ever contemplated in Latin America and a key step in OpenAI’s global infrastructure strategy.

According to Reuters, the project would be part of OpenAI’s broader “Stargate” initiative, an ambitious plan to build a network of high-capacity computing hubs around the world. These facilities are designed to power the company’s increasingly complex AI models, which require enormous computing power and energy to train and operate. A single data center of this scale could house tens of thousands of advanced chips, store petabytes of data, and process trillions of calculations per second — capabilities that underpin OpenAI’s generative AI systems.

The proposed facility, tentatively called Stargate Argentina, would have an energy capacity of up to 500 megawatts, making it one of the largest of its kind. It would rely on Argentina’s expanding renewable energy potential — particularly wind power in Patagonia — and benefit from the country’s new Regime for Large-Scale Investment (RIGI), which offers tax and customs incentives for billion-dollar infrastructure projects.

OpenAI’s chief executive, Sam Altman, confirmed the plan on social media, calling it a “historic opportunity” to extend the company’s technological footprint while supporting local development. The initiative reflects OpenAI’s push to diversify its infrastructure beyond the United States and Europe, ensuring that its computing capacity keeps pace with demand for AI applications worldwide.

Founded in 2015, OpenAI has evolved from a nonprofit research lab into one of the world’s leading AI developers. Backed by partners such as Microsoft and Oracle, it operates large-scale computing clusters that power products like ChatGPT and DALL·E. The company’s technology depends on advanced data centers capable of handling the massive datasets and energy loads required to train and maintain AI models.

If realized, the Argentine project would mark OpenAI’s first major infrastructure investment in Latin America — and a significant statement about the region’s potential role in the global digital economy. Beyond its symbolic value, the initiative could attract a new wave of technology and energy investment, linking artificial intelligence development with the region’s renewable energy resources.