OpenAI is launching OpenAI for Countries, the first major initiative under The Stargate Project, aiming to export what it calls “democratic AI,” which are systems built around long-standing democratic principles.
The move comes months after OpenAI joined the US federal Stargate Project, a $500 billion effort to build AI infrastructure over four years. Now, OpenAI wants other nations to follow suit.
What is OpenAI for Countries?
OpenAI for Countries is a partnership with the US government to collaborate with international clients on infrastructure for:
- Secure data centers that help countries comply with local data sovereignty laws.
- Customized ChatGPT instances to provide local healthcare, education, and public services information in local languages.
- A national AI startup fund.
- Ongoing AI safety and security development.
This partnership would use funds from The Stargate Project.
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What is democratic AI?
OpenAI’s stated principles behind democratic AI, as opposed to authoritarian AI, include:
- The freedom for people to choose how they work with and direct AI.
- The prevention of government use of AI to centralize control.
- A free market that ensures open competition.
“Technological innovation has always driven growth by helping people do more than they otherwise could,” the OpenAI Global Affairs team wrote in its OpenAI for Countries announcement.
OpenAI for Countries, the company said, offers “a clear alternative to authoritarian versions of AI that would deploy it to consolidate power.”
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The role of generative AI in world politics
Generative AI companies have grown large and influential enough over the past three years to align with or respond to geopolitical tides. The US and China, in particular, compete to produce the most popular models. US-based OpenAI will take advantage of the widespread appeal of its products, such as ChatGPT, to promote American prosperity and perspectives. Meanwhile, US companies warn Chinese-made models could potentially obscure sensitive political topics.
It is not publicly known whether OpenAI has customers yet for OpenAI for Countries. The company said it aims to launch 10 projects with individual countries or regions in the initiative’s first phase.