OpenAI Plans to Buy Google AI Chips in TPU Shift
OpenAI plans to buy Google's AI chips, The Information reports, moving beyond Nvidia GPUs as the ChatGPT maker chases cheaper and faster AI computing.
OpenAI plans to buy Google's AI chips, The Information reported on Tuesday, in a move that would deepen ties between two companies that still compete head-to-head in AI products and search. The report did not disclose financial terms or other details, but it signals a major shift in how the ChatGPT maker powers its AI.
What was reported
The Information reported the planned purchase on October 27, citing a person familiar with the matter. OpenAI declined to comment, and Google did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The plan is not yet a confirmed deal, but it shows how far OpenAI is willing to go to secure enough computing power for its growing AI workloads.
From renting chips to buying them
This would not be OpenAI's first step into Google's chip world. Reuters reported in June 2025 that OpenAI had begun renting Google's Tensor Processing Units, or TPUs, through Google Cloud to run ChatGPT and other products. That was its first meaningful use of chips outside Nvidia's lineup, aimed at cutting the cost of running its models. Buying chips outright would be a deeper commitment than renting cloud capacity. It would give OpenAI direct control over part of its hardware supply instead of relying only on rented capacity from cloud providers.
Why TPUs matter
TPUs are Google's custom-built AI chips, designed to run machine learning workloads efficiently. They have gained traction as an alternative to Nvidia's market-leading graphics processing units, or GPUs, as companies look for cheaper options and chips better suited to running AI models day to day. For OpenAI, the appeal is clear. Much of its computing cost now comes from inference, the everyday work of running models for millions of users, where efficiency matters as much as raw speed. A second public signal points the same way: OpenAI is hiring a Software Engineer for TPU Compilers in San Francisco, with the listing saying the hire will lead the optimization of its frontier models on TPUs.
What it means for Nvidia and Google
OpenAI is one of the largest buyers of Nvidia's GPUs, which it uses to train models and run inference computing. Adding Google's TPUs would diversify its supply and reduce its dependence on a single chip supplier, even as Nvidia remains central to its infrastructure. For Google, the deal would be fresh proof that its in-house chips can power another company's frontier AI workloads. Google began selling TPUs directly to some customers this year, turning what was once an internal tool into a product in its own right.
What to watch next
Alphabet, Google's parent company, reports its quarterly results later on Wednesday, and investors will look for signs that heavy AI spending is turning into cloud growth. Whether OpenAI's planned purchase closes, and on what terms, will show how serious the ChatGPT maker is about building a chip supply chain that goes beyond Nvidia.
Sources
- Reuters - https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/business/2026/10/28/openai-plans-to-buy-google-s-ai-chips - Finimize - https://finimize.com/content/openai-looks-to-buy-googles-tpus-for-ai-workloads - AI Weekly - https://aiweekly.co/alerts/openai-plans-to-buy-google-tpus-hires-for-compiler-role