OpenAI penned a $51 Million order for advanced Neuromorphic AI chips
Neuromorphic computing is "one of" the next generation of AI's - computers that self learn - and Altman has already been placing orders for future chips.
Key takeaways
- Back in 2019 OpenAI apparently signed a letter of intent to spend $51 million on a special kind of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips from neuromorphic computing chip startup Rain AI.
- OpenAI would spend the $51m as soon as the chips are available, with Rain telling investors that it plans to ship its first chips as soon as this October.
- Sam Altman was CEO of OpenAI at the time of the deal, then was fired last November before being re-hired again in a shambolic mess after staff threatened to quit.
Cite or link to this article
Griffin, M. (2024) 'OpenAI penned a $51 Million order for advanced Neuromorphic AI chips', 311 Institute, 15 February. Available at: https://www.311institute.com/openai-penned-a-51-million-order-for-advanced-neuromorphic-ai-chips/ (Accessed: 1 October 2026).
Back in 2019 OpenAI apparently signed a letter of intent to spend $51 million on a special kind of Artificial Intelligence (AI) chips from neuromorphic computing chip startup Rain AI. Wired reports that CEO Sam Altman has personally invested more than $1 million into the company, which says that it is working hard to develop the next generation of ultra low power, ultra fast AI Neuromorphic Processing Units (NPU), just as elsewhere other companies are now starting to power up the world’s first brain scale neuromorphic computing systems.
OpenAI would spend the $51m as soon as the chips are available, with Rain telling investors that it plans to ship its first chips as soon as this October. Sam Altman was CEO of OpenAI at the time of the deal, then was fired last November before being re-hired again in a shambolic mess after staff threatened to quit.
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Altman has several investments across Silicon Valley, many dating to his time leading startup incubator Y Combinator. The incubator is also a Rain backer. The OpenAI CEO has also tried to raise trillions, yes with a “T” for his own semiconductor venture, while OpenAI has also considered starting its own chip business.
Last month, Reuters reported that OpenAI hired the former lead of Google's Tensor Processing Unit (TPU) AI chip as the head of hardware.
Rain, meanwhile, says that it “is developing digital in-memory compute chips based on neuromorphic principles.”
The company's leadership was reshuffled last month after the US government forced Saudi Arabia-affiliated fund Prosperity7 Ventures to sell its stake in the company over national security concerns.
FAQ
Why does this matter?
Neuromorphic computing is "one of" the next generation of AI's - computers that self learn - and Altman has already been placing orders for future chips.
About the author
Matthew Griffin Founder, 311 Institute
Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath."
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Matthew Griffin is a multi-award winning Futurist and expert in Disruption and Innovation, Geopolitics, Leadership, and Technology, who NASA have described as a "walking encyclopaedia of the future" and a "futurist Polymath." 15-time best selling author of the "Codex of the Future" series, Matthew is the Founder and Futurist in Chief of the 311 Institute, a global Futures and Deep Futures advisory firm working with royal households, world leaders, G7, G20, and G77 governments, NGOs, and multi-national mid and mega cap firms to help them explore, shape, and lead the next 50 years of business and society.
An award-winning YouTube creator with over a million followers, with an unrivalled global reach and impact, Matthew is a highly sought-after international keynote speaker, lecturer, and mentor who collaborates with global leaders through the United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) and United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) to shape pivotal initiatives such as the UN’s AI for Humanity program, the United Nations Conference of the Parties (UN COP), and the World Economic Forum in Davos.
As the former Global Head of Cloud, National Security, and Enterprise Sales for companies including Atos, Dell-EMC, and IBM, Matthew has a proven track record of building multi-billion dollar business units and turning failing divisions into market leaders. His ability to identify, analyse, and communicate the implications of hundreds of emerging technologies and trends is unparalleled, and his insights are trusted by many of the world’s most respected organisations, including ABB, Accenture, Adidas, AON, ARM, BCG, Centrica, Citi, Coca-Cola, Dentons, Deloitte, Dow Jones, EY, Google, KPMG, Lego, Legal & General, LinkedIn, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Qualcomm, RWE, Samsung, Siemens AG and Siemens Energy, T-Mobile, UBS, VISA, Walmart, Workday, Worldpay and many others.
Regularly featured in the global media including the AP, BBC, Bloomberg, CNBC, Discovery, Forbes, Khaleej Times, Telegraph, TIME, ViacomCBS, WIRED, and the WSJ, Matthews mission is to help organisations create a fair and sustainable future whose benefits are shared by everyone irrespective of their ability, background, or circumstances.
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Sources and further reading
- Openai buy ai chips startup sam altman wired.com
Source: first published by the 311 Institute on 15 February 2024. Cite as: Griffin, M. (2024). OpenAI penned a $51 Million order for advanced Neuromorphic AI chips. 311 Institute. https://www.311institute.com/openai-penned-a-51-million-order-for-advanced-neuromorphic-ai-chips/
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