In a major leap toward next-generation AI infrastructure, OpenAI and Broadcom have announced a strategic partnership to co-develop 10 gigawatts (GW) of custom AI accelerators and networking systems. Under the collaboration, OpenAI will lead the design of the accelerators while Broadcom will provide its advanced Ethernet and connectivity technologies, enabling massive scale-up and scale-out deployments across OpenAI’s facilities and partner data centers. The rollout is expected to begin in the second half of 2026 and reach completion by the end of 2029.
This large-scale initiative represents a critical step in addressing the global surge in demand for AI computing power. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasized the partnership’s significance, stating, “Partnering with Broadcom is a critical step in building the infrastructure needed to unlock AI’s potential and deliver real benefits for people and businesses. Developing our own accelerators adds to the broader ecosystem of partners all building the capacity required to push the frontier of AI and provide benefits to all humanity.”
The collaboration aims to create a highly efficient, scalable infrastructure capable of powering OpenAI’s expanding model suite and accelerating progress toward more advanced forms of artificial intelligence. By developing custom silicon optimized for AI workloads, OpenAI seeks to reduce dependency on third-party hardware while improving energy efficiency and system performance across data centers.
Hock Tan, President and CEO of Broadcom, described the partnership as a defining moment in the ongoing evolution of AI systems, calling it a “pivotal moment in the pursuit of artificial general intelligence.” He praised OpenAI’s leadership and vision since what he referred to as the “ChatGPT moment,” underscoring Broadcom’s commitment to enabling this next era of AI compute infrastructure.
OpenAI’s Greg Brockman, co-founder and President, added that “building custom chips allows the company to embed insights from frontier models directly into hardware, unlocking new levels of capability and intelligence.” Meanwhile, Charlie Kawwas, President of Broadcom’s Semiconductor Solutions Group, highlighted that the integration of custom accelerators with advanced Ethernet networking will set new industry benchmarks for performance, scalability, and power efficiency.
Together, OpenAI and Broadcom’s joint development marks a transformative effort to redefine the foundation of global AI infrastructure, positioning both companies at the forefront of the hardware-software co-innovation driving the future of artificial intelligence.
