OpenAI, the leading AI research and deployment company, has announced a strategic partnership with Foxconn, the world's largest electronics manufacturer, to co-design and manufacture AI hardware in the United States. This collaboration aims to strengthen the U.S. AI infrastructure and supply chain while accelerating the development and deployment of advanced AI systems.

The partnership will focus on three core areas:

• Designing Multiple Generations of Data Center Hardware: OpenAI and Foxconn will jointly design, engineer, and develop successive generations of AI data center racks. This parallel development approach ensures that hardware keeps pace with the rapidly evolving demands of AI models. By combining OpenAI's insights into emerging hardware needs with Foxconn's manufacturing expertise, the collaboration aims to bring new systems online faster and secure capacity for long-term growth.
• Strengthening and Simplifying the U.S. AI Supply Chain: The companies will work to improve rack architecture for U.S. manufacturing, broaden sourcing to include more domestic chipset and component suppliers, and expand localized testing and assembly. This initiative aims to improve reliability, speed up deployment, and build a more resilient and scalable American supply chain.
• Manufacturing Critical AI Data Center Components in the U.S.: Foxconn will manufacture key equipment for AI data centers in its U.S. facilities, including cabling, networking, cooling, and power systems. This domestic production will support the rapid construction of high-performance computing infrastructure and ensure that the economic benefits of AI reach American workers and manufacturers. Foxconn has factories in the U.S., including in Wisconsin, Ohio, and Texas.

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, emphasized the importance of this partnership for the U.S. AI landscape. "The infrastructure behind advanced AI is a generational opportunity to reindustrialize America," Altman stated. "This partnership is a step toward ensuring the core technologies of the AI era are built here. We believe this work will strengthen U.S. leadership and help ensure the benefits of AI are widely shared".

Young Liu, Chairman of Foxconn, echoed this sentiment, stating, "We at Foxconn are thrilled to partner with OpenAI – a pioneer at the forefront of the AI digital age". He added, "As the world's largest manufacturer of AI data servers, Foxconn is uniquely positioned to support OpenAI's mission with trusted, scalable infrastructure that accelerates innovation and broadens access to transformative AI capabilities for businesses and users worldwide".

This collaboration arrives as AI model capabilities are expanding rapidly, necessitating a new class of physical infrastructure specifically designed for increasingly intensive workloads. By combining OpenAI's understanding of future model requirements with Foxconn's engineering and manufacturing scale, the companies aim to strengthen domestic supply chains and accelerate the rollout of high-performance AI systems.

While the initial agreement does not include financial obligations or purchase commitments, OpenAI will have early access to evaluate these systems and an option to purchase them. This partnership marks a significant step toward securing U.S. leadership in the AI era by building core AI technologies within the country. It also aligns with OpenAI's commitment of $1.4 trillion to build AI infrastructure. Foxconn's expertise in manufacturing AI servers for companies like Nvidia and assembling Apple products positions them as a key player in this endeavor.