OpenAI's new layout: driving ChatGPT to reach billions of people, potentially making 2026 the breakthrough year for AI science.

OpenAI's incoming head of applications, Fidji Simo, expressed her desire to expand the user base of ChatGPT to billions of people. Simo, who was appointed to the position in May of this year, stated during a remote appearance at the Paris VivaTech Summit on Thursday, "ChatGPT has already reached hundreds of millions of people, but fundamentally, artificial intelligence should change the lives of every individual. We need to cover billions of people." Simo will take over several operational responsibilities, including finance and product development, previously handled by Sam Altman as the head of AI applications. She will join the generative AI company this year, transitioning from her position as CEO of Instacart's parent company, Maplebear Inc., where she has served for four years. Meanwhile, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman predicts that 2026 could be a year of scientific breakthroughs closely related to advancements in AI technology. Altman stated, "The area I'm most excited about is using AI for scientific discovery. We're not quite there yet, but we're not far off." OpenAI is embarking on an ambitious plan to reshape the landscape of the AI field and accelerate America's leading position in this emerging technology sector. The Stargate project is a collaboration between OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, aiming to raise up to $500 billion to build large-scale AI infrastructure across the United States. Altman, at the age of 40, revealed that the project's name is derived from the design of an early data center resembling the iconic circular portals known from the Stargate franchise. Following months of pitching the idea to potential investors, Stargate began to take shape last year. Altman shared his thoughts on the potential technological, industry, and global impact of this huge leap forward in AI infrastructure. One key question surrounding projects like Stargate is whether companies like OpenAI truly need such massive computational resources. Efficient AI models introduced by Chinese company DeepSee and other companies focused on reasoning capabilities are challenging the "scale rule" that originally inspired the Stargate project. However, Altman remains unfazed by this. "There are a lot of great models out there right now, and I think amazing models will become extremely common," he explained. He believes that OpenAI's flagship products will have an advantage because "far more people use ChatGPT than any other AI service. I think you'll see that as we roll out a lot of new features, this will become a bigger advantage over time."