Sam Altman Says Intelligence Will Be a Utility, and He’s Just the Man to Collect the Bills
OpenAI CEO envisions metered intelligence like electricity, while quietly lobbying for federal guarantees.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has laid out a provocative vision for the future of artificial intelligence, describing it as a utility akin to electricity or water that people will purchase 'on a meter.' Speaking at BlackRock's U.S. Infrastructure Summit, Altman argued for a future of abundant, cheap intelligence, borrowing the energy industry's old—and ultimately unfulfilled—promise of power being 'too cheap to meter.' This framing is striking, as the AI boom Altman leads is itself a major driver of soaring energy costs and data center expansion, creating friction with communities.
Beneath this utility rhetoric lies a significant financial ask. Altman's comments follow reports that OpenAI backed out of a planned expansion to its 'Stargate' data center project in Texas due to financing issues. Both Altman and OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar have previously called for a federal government 'backstop' to guarantee the company's massive infrastructure investments, with Altman suggesting the government should act as 'the insurer of last resort.' By positioning AI as an essential public utility, Altman is making a tacit case for the kind of government subsidy and support that traditional utilities receive, framing OpenAI's colossal capital needs as a public necessity rather than a corporate risk.
- Altman framed AI as a future public utility to be sold 'on a meter,' invoking the energy sector's 'too cheap to meter' slogan.
- The vision comes amid real financing pressures, with OpenAI reportedly backing out of a Texas data center expansion called 'Stargate.'
- OpenAI executives have previously called for a federal 'backstop' to guarantee investments, suggesting the government be the 'insurer of last resort.'
Why It Matters
This signals a major push for public-private financing of AI infrastructure, potentially shifting cost and risk to taxpayers.