The launch of the large-scale Stargate data center, which is being developed by OpenAI, is being slowed down due to economic instability related to customs restrictions, Bloomberg reports.
The project, which aims to raise up to $500 million to develop artificial intelligence infrastructure in the United States and abroad, is currently causing caution among potential investors. Due to increased market volatility and the emergence of more affordable AI solutions, banks and investment funds are in no hurry to invest. Despite SoftBank's January statement of its intention to invest a significant amount, the company has not yet presented a financial model or begun active negotiations with other participants.
According to TD Cowen, cited by Bloomberg, the introduction of new tariffs could lead to higher prices for key components — such as servers, cooling systems, and chips — which would overall increase the cost of building data centers by 5–15%.
Additional pressure is also created by a possible overcapacity: companies such as Microsoft and Amazon have already begun to adjust their plans, including suspending some projects.