Sam Altman didn't set out to compete with Nvidia . OpenAI began with a simple bet that better ideas, not better infrastructure, would unlock artificial general intelligence. But that view shifted years ago, as Altman realized that more compute, or processing power, meant more capability — and ultimately, more dominance. On Monday morning, he unveiled his latest blockbuster deal, one that moves OpenAI squarely into the chipmaking business and further into competition with the hyperscalers.