White House hosts meeting with OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google executives to discuss AI energy and data center issues.

• The CEOs of OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google met at the White House to discuss the future of AI energy infrastructure in the U.S.
• Several American power and utility companies, Microsoft leaders, Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo, and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm were present.
• Sources familiar with the meeting confirmed to CNBC that the topics discussed included AI's energy usage, data center capacity, semiconductor manufacturing, and grid capacity.

Several American power and utility companies, as well as leaders from OpenAI and Anthropic, met with White House officials on Thursday to discuss the future of artificial intelligence and its impact on energy infrastructure in the U.S.

The meeting, attended by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Google President Ruth Porat, focused on discussing the energy usage, data center capacity, semiconductor manufacturing, and grid capacity of artificial intelligence.

An OpenAI representative stated to CNBC that the company believes that constructing more infrastructure in the U.S. is crucial for the country's industrial policy and economic future. The spokesperson added, "We are grateful for the White House's meeting invitation as it highlights the importance of infrastructure in creating jobs, ensuring that the benefits of AI are accessible to all, and maintaining the U.S.'s leadership in AI innovation."

The Biden-Harris administration received an economic impact analysis from OpenAI, which included estimates of job and GDP impacts in sample states such as Wisconsin, California, Texas, and Pennsylvania.

CNN first reported on the meeting.

The White House is committed to strengthening U.S. leadership in A.I. by promoting the construction of data-centers within the country and ensuring the technology is developed in a responsible manner, according to Robyn Patterson, a White House spokesperson.

According to a source, both Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo and Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm were present on Thursday.

The meeting was attended by U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, Ali Zaidi, national climate advisor, Kristine Lucius, domestic policy advisor to the vice president, John Podesta, senior advisor to the president for international climate policy, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients, and White House deputy chief of staff Bruce Reed, according to a source.

The U.S. AI Safety Institute has been granted permission to test OpenAI and Anthropic's new AI models before they are made available to the public, in response to growing concerns about safety and ethics in the industry.

The Department of Commerce at the National Institute of Standards and Technology's institute stated in a press release that it would obtain "access to major new models from each company before and after their public release."

The group was formed following the Biden-Harris administration's issuance of the U.S. government's first-ever executive order on artificial intelligence in October 2023, which mandated new safety assessments, equity and civil rights guidance, and research on AI's impact on the labor market.

OpenAI is reportedly in talks to raise a funding round that would value the company at more than $150 billion. Anthropic, founded by ex-OpenAI research executives and employees, was most recently valued at $18.4 billion. Anthropic counts Amazon as a leading investor, while OpenAI is heavily backed by Microsoft.