The BuildJune 26, 2026via TechCrunch AI
Why everyone from OpenAI to SpaceX is building their own chips (and turning up the heat on Nvidia)
Why it matters
As OpenAI, Google, Apple, and SpaceX build custom inference chips, the AI infrastructure landscape is fragmenting away from single-supplier control. This reshapes capex priorities, supply chain risk, and the competitive dynamics of AI deployment at scale.
Key signals
- OpenAI building Jalapeño custom inference chip with Broadcom
- Google, Apple, SpaceX also building proprietary AI chips
- Shift away from Nvidia single-supplier dependency
- Growing trend of vertical integration in AI infrastructure
- Custom chips targeting inference optimization
The hook
OpenAI's Jalapeño chip isn't a pilot project—it's the signal that the era of Nvidia dependence is ending.
Nvidia has dominated the AI chip market for years, but the era of total dependence might be ending. OpenAI just shared its plans to spice things up with Jalapeño, its custom inference chip built with Broadcom, joining Google, Apple, and SpaceX in a growing list of companies building their way out of single-supplier risk. The goal is less of a […]