OpenAI is building its own inference chip to cut Nvidia dependence.

Reporting says OpenAI is designing an inference-specific chip for higher performance and better energy efficiency across its data centers. It extends the 2026 pattern of frontier labs vertically integrating silicon to control cost and supply. Inference is where the recurring cost lives, so an inference-specialized chip is the rational place to start. Whether they can actually ship competitive silicon is a different question, and one I'd hold judgment on until there's a tape-out, not a memo.