OpenAI ‘s Sam Altman predicts 2026 as a big year for AI

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicted that 2026 could be a big year for scientific progress tied to advances in artificial intelligence technology.

Stargate, a collaboration of Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT)-backed OpenAI, Oracle and SoftBank, will use a bankroll that could reach $500 billion to build massive installations across the U.S., said Altman, in a Bloomberg interview called The Circuit with Emily Chang.

After he spent many months selling the idea to prospective backers, Stargate started to come together last year, Altman said during the interview, adding that the project’s name stems from an early data center design that resembled the ring-shaped portal made famous in the eponymous movie and television series.

The rise of cost-efficient AI models like China-based DeepSeek and other companies inspired Stargate, Altman said.

“The area I’m most excited about is AI for scientific discovery,” Altman pointed out in the interview, adding that, “We’re not there yet—but we’re not far away.”