Tech Companies In Trump’s Stargate AI Project Back DEI Programs, Conflicting With His New Executive Order
On Tuesday, President Donald Trump announced the launch of new company called Stargate, which intends to build new AI infrastructure for OpenAI in the US.
A $500 billion investment will help the initiative through an executive action that would employ emergency declarations to fast-track production and streamline regulatory hurdles for participating companies.
The announcement of Stargate comes after the president revoked a six-decade-old executive order that aimed to end DEI programs within federal agencies, with plans to deter DEI in the private sector. However, three companies participating in the Stargate initiative have hinted that their DEI programs will remain, according to their company websites.
Who are the key partners in Stargate?
The initial equity funders in this initiative are Japan’s SoftBank, OpenAI, Oracle, and MGX (a tech investment arm of the United Arab Emirates government.) The technology partners are Arm, Microsoft, NVIDIA (partners since 2016), and Oracle.
SoftBank has financial responsibility, with Softbank’s CEO Masayoshi Son taking up the chairman position, while OpenAI has operational responsibility.
What are the tech companies’ stances on DEI?
As first reported by ABC News, OpenAI’s website has a webpage titled “Commitment to diversity, equity & inclusion,” where the company describes its DEI programs and commitment to mitigate harmful biases in AI systems.
SoftBank President and CEO Junichi Miyagawa also spoke about the importance of DEI efforts in a 2024 post on the company’s website, saying, “Promotion of diversity, equity, and inclusion is an important management issue, and we strive to foster a dynamic and vibrant organization that enables diverse members of our workforce to fully exercise their talents, regardless of age, gender, nationality or disabilities.”
Larry Ellison’s Oracle website page titled “Culture and Inclusion Empowers Diversity says, “If you ever find yourself wondering why diversity and inclusion matters, remember: It makes our teams stronger and our ideas better.”
Image: Getty/Brandon Bell
