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OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has committed to spending more than $1 trillion to build out AI infrastructure, totaling 26 gigawatts of compute capacity from tech companies including Nvidia, AMD, and Oracle, according to the Financial Times\u2018 calculations<\/a>. And that\u2019s just over the last month.<\/p>\n Recouping these astronomical costs isn\u2019t just OpenAI\u2019s problem, either \u2014 vast portions of the wider economy are relying on OpenAI\u2019s success<\/a>, highlighting growing concerns over an AI bubble<\/a> that could have sweeping implications for the rest of the economy.<\/p>\n For now, the company is desperately trying to build out new revenue lines and taking on even more debt to keep things running. It\u2019s looking at advertising online, monetizing its new text-to-video AI generator app Sora, and leaning into online shopping. The company is also working on a new personal device<\/a> with the help of former Apple designer Jony Ive.<\/p>\n But whether any of that will sufficiently grow its income to make a dent in the enormous amount of money it\u2019s planning to spend in the next five years remains anything but certain.<\/p>\n The numbers are certainly far from confidence-inducing. OpenAI boasts that it has 800 million ChatGPT users. That\u2019s impressive, but only a tiny sliver \u2014 roughly five percent \u2014 of them are actually paying for a subscription, according to the FT\u2018s sources at the company.<\/p>\n Despite running the most popular AI chatbot service by far<\/a>, in other words, it\u2019s struggling to convince the vast majority of users that it\u2019s worth $20 per month, let alone $200 per month for a pro subscription.<\/p>\n In an apparent effort to boost engagement, Altman recently reversed course<\/a> on a prior promise, announcing that the company would soon allow \u201cmature apps<\/a>,\u201d despite boasting two months earlier that ChatGPT didn\u2019t host any \u201csexbots.\u201d<\/p>\n This all comes as OpenAI is still bleeding cash at an alarming rate. In the first half of the year, OpenAI lost $8 billion, despite doubling revenue compared to the year before, per the FT. And insiders are worried that there isn\u2019t a cohesive plan to turn OpenAI into a viable business that isn\u2019t bleeding billions of dollars long-term.<\/p>\n \u201c[Investors] expect you to have a five-year model,\u201d a senior OpenAI executive told the FT, but \u201cright now I\u2019d say there\u2019s lots of fuzz on the horizon, and as it gets closer and it\u2019s going to start to take real shape.\u201d<\/p>\n Altman has also indicated that it\u2019s still far from a concrete plan to monetize Sora<\/a>, a resource-hogging app that could quickly turn into a major expense.<\/p>\n And a personal AI chatbot device, even with the help of Ive, may also prove to be an uphill battle, considering the fate of previous attempts, including the disastrous Humane AI pin<\/a>.<\/p>\n In the meantime, the company is looking to lean on its partners, including Oracle, to take the hit on spending on AI infrastructure, giving it \u201ctime to build the business,\u201d the executive added.<\/p>\n OpenAI leadership is hoping that with more compute, revenue will continue to grow<\/a>, a belief that has quickly turned into a major point of contention<\/a>.<\/p>\n The stakes are incredibly high. Capital expenditures for AI have contributed more to the growth of the US economy as of August than all of consumer spending combined, as the Wall Street Journal reported<\/a> earlier this year, raising the terrifying possibility that a crash could take down the US economy with it<\/a>.<\/p>\n Analysts have also voiced concerns after OpenAI announced it would be using investment money from AI chipmaker Nvidia to buy hardware from the company, one of several circular deals that are heightening concerns of a crash<\/a>.<\/p>\n Perhaps the most eyebrow-raising reality is that currently, stopping the bleeding isn\u2019t a main priority at OpenAI. Altman doesn\u2019t seem all too concerned about breaking even, telling reporters earlier this month<\/a> that it\u2019s \u201cnot in my top ten concerns, but we obviously someday have to be very profitable.\u201d<\/p>\n