{"id":176600,"date":"2025-10-13T22:09:25","date_gmt":"2025-10-13T22:09:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/openai-has-made-its-initial-move-into-latin-america-backed-by-an-investment-of-25-billion-in-argentina-raising-many-questions\/"},"modified":"2025-10-13T22:09:26","modified_gmt":"2025-10-13T22:09:26","slug":"openai-has-made-its-initial-move-into-latin-america-backed-by-an-investment-of-25-billion-in-argentina-raising-many-questions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/openai-has-made-its-initial-move-into-latin-america-backed-by-an-investment-of-25-billion-in-argentina-raising-many-questions\/","title":{"rendered":"OpenAI has made its initial move into Latin America, backed by an investment of $25 billion in Argentina, raising many questions."},"content":{"rendered":"\n

For almost any country in \u00a0Latin America\u00a0 and the world, a company like \u00a0OpenAI\u00a0 announcing a multi-million dollar investment sounds like a \u00a0golden dream\u00a0. It is not only the most influential company on the planet in \u00a0artificial intelligence\u00a0, but also one of the \u00a0pacesetters\u00a0 in the industry. Its arrival promises \u00a0jobs\u00a0, \u00a0economic movement\u00a0, and \u00a0global visibility\u00a0. However, as with any large-scale project, it raises doubts about \u00a0energy consumption\u00a0, \u00a0water usage\u00a0, and the \u00a0sustainability\u00a0 of a data center consuming hundreds of megawatts. \u00a0Argentina\u00a0, at least on paper, has been chosen to attempt that leap.<\/p>\n

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The announcement of the Argentine Government<\/a> rests, at this point, on a single document: a \u00a0letter of intent\u00a0 signed between OpenAI and the local company \u00a0Sur Energy\u00a0. The text, published on October 10, 2025, mentions an investment of \u201cup to \u00a0$25 billion\u00a0\u201d for a data center of \u201cup to \u00a0500 megawatts\u00a0,\u201d under the Incentive Regime for Large Investments (RIGI)<\/a>. The \u00a0location\u00a0 of the project is not specified nor are \u00a0deadlines\u00a0 or \u00a0construction phases\u00a0 detailed, which keeps it in a preliminary stage.<\/p>\n

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\"Meeting\"<\/p>\n

    <span>The Argentine president met at the Casa Rosada with representatives of OpenAI last week<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Silences that weigh<\/strong>. Notably, a multimillion-dollar announcement linked to the \u00a0expansion\u00a0 of OpenAI in the region has neither its \u00a0CEO\u00a0 nor the company itself communicating it through their \u00a0official channels\u00a0. While this does not invalidate the project, it creates a noticeable distance from the institutional enthusiasm on the Argentine side. In such operations, \u00a0communication\u00a0 typically forms an integral part of the message, which is conspicuously lacking, at least from the American startup on your website<\/a> and social networks<\/a>.<\/p>\n
The plan: AI factories at scale<\/strong>. \u00a0*Stargate\u00a0* is not an isolated project; instead, it is part of a global infrastructure initiative by OpenAI. This program aims to construct a network of data centers capable of supporting cutting-edge \u00a0artificial intelligence models\u00a0, which power technologies such as \u00a0conversational chatbots\u00a0 and \u00a0image generators\u00a0. For OpenAI, these models are the backbone of products like \u00a0ChatGPT\u00a0, employing systems like \u00a0GPT-4\u00a0 or \u00a0GPT-5\u00a0. This plan gained momentum several months ago when the company announced an ambitious infrastructure project in the \u00a0United States\u00a0, followed by expansion into additional countries.<\/p>\n
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\n                   \"Stargate1\"\/
\n   \"Stargate1\"<\/p>\n
    <span>Interior of Stargate 1, the first large-scale data center developed under OpenAI's program<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Power, density, permissions<\/strong>. Data centers exclusively catered to artificial intelligence operate under \u00a0different parameters\u00a0. These facilities concentrate massive \u00a0GPUs\u00a0 with industrial-level power demands and \u00a0energy density\u00a0 significantly higher than conventional data centers. Each operational area requires advanced cooling systems to maintain optimal temperatures consistently. Although permits and licenses are necessary, the scale and technical requirements make these projects more complex and lengthy to build.<\/p>\n
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RIGI and financing: promise vs contract<\/strong>. As mentioned, the project is underpinned by the \u00a0Incentive Regime for Large Investments\u00a0, designed by the Argentine Government to attract foreign capital through tax, customs, and exchange advantages. While the RIGI facilitates financing for large-scale projects, it does not ensure that the investment will indeed materialize.<\/p>\n
Patagonia sounds loud, it’s not official<\/strong>. There is no specific location mentioned on paper; the Argentine Government has not voiced any specifics regarding \u00a0Patagonia\u00a0. However, the name of the local company involved, \u00a0Sur Energy\u00a0, fuels the notion that the project may be developed in the southern region of the country.<\/p>\n
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\n                   \"Altman
\n   \"Altman<\/p>\n
    <span>The president of Argentina, Javier Milei, with the CEO of OpenAI, Sam Altman, in May 2024<\/span><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
Climate and design: allies or burdens<\/strong>. Strengthening the idea of the southern location rests on a technical argument: the \u00a0climate\u00a0 is favorable. Colder regions permit operations with less cooling energy, utilizing \u00a0outside air\u00a0, thus reducing costs and emissions. Water availability remains a \u00a0decisive factor\u00a0. Aware of potential risks, new artificial intelligence campuses are adopting cooling systems that minimize water use. The final option OpenAI will choose remains to be seen.<\/p>\n
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When the network or the water say no<\/strong>. The data center’s location does not simply hinge on weather or tax perks; factors such as the \u00a0electric grid\u00a0 and \u00a0water availability\u00a0 can determine a project’s success or failure. For instance, while \u00a0Mexico\u00a0 is a major tech hub in the region, a Microsoft facility faced national grid limitations and resorted to gas generators. Similarly, \u00a0Chile\u00a0 saw Google\u2019s plans thwarted due to excessive water usage, underscoring that adequate infrastructure is critical.<\/p>\n
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 <img alt=\"The evolution of technology and its impact on resources\" width=\"375\" height=\"142\" src=\"https:\/\/i.blogs.es\/c854f2\/cemrecan-yurtman-ox5dv5qd3-8-unsplash\/375_142.jpeg\"\/><\/code><\/pre>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
From exclusivity to autonomy<\/strong>. Historically, OpenAI’s infrastructure heavily relied on \u00a0Microsoft\u00a0. Following a \u00a0$1 billion\u00a0 investment in 2019, Microsoft became its exclusive cloud partner. Over time, this partnership expanded, exceeding \u00a0$10 billion\u00a0, solidifying \u00a0Azure\u00a0 as the primary platform for training and executing models. Nonetheless, OpenAI has sought greater operational \u00a0autonomy\u00a0. The Stargate program is designed to establish its own computing resources, thereby diversifying technological dependence.<\/p>\n
From paper to concrete<\/strong>. At present, the initiative’s future hinges on the next steps. For the project to progress, a definitive \u00a0contract\u00a0 between OpenAI and Sur Energy, as well as environmental studies and \u00a0electrical interconnection licenses\u00a0, are essential. Financing schemes and long-term energy agreements will also have to be solidified. Only once these components are in place can this initiative shift from a mere announcement to a \u00a0tangible reality\u00a0.<\/p>\n
Images | Xataka with Gemini 2.5 | Government of Argentina<\/a> | Javier Milei (X)<\/a> | Sam Altman (X)<\/a><\/p>\n
In Xataka | There is a new \u00a0technology gold rush\u00a0 in Spain, driven by data centers<\/p>\n

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General News – 2<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For almost any country in \u00a0Latin America\u00a0 and the world, a company like \u00a0OpenAI\u00a0 announcing a multi-million dollar investment sounds like a \u00a0golden dream\u00a0. It is not only the most influential company on the planet in \u00a0artificial intelligence\u00a0, but also one of the \u00a0pacesetters\u00a0 in the industry. Its arrival promises \u00a0jobs\u00a0, \u00a0economic movement\u00a0, and \u00a0global […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":176601,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[36399],"tags":[3347,9699,14873,377,9004,2383,3346,1388,18785,5064,11068],"class_list":["post-176600","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology","tag-america","tag-argentina","tag-backed","tag-billion","tag-initial","tag-investment","tag-latin","tag-move","tag-openai","tag-questions","tag-raising"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176600","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=176600"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/176600\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/176601"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=176600"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=176600"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=176600"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}