July 18 (Reuters) -

ChatGPT maker OpenAI is in discussion with chip designers,

including Broadcom ( AVGO ), about developing a new artificial

intelligence chip, the Information reported on Thursday, citing

people familiar with the matter.

OpenAI is exploring the idea of making AI chips on its own

to overcome the shortage of expensive graphic processing units

that it relies on to develop AI models such as ChatGPT, GPT-4,

and DALL-E3.

The Microsoft ( MSFT )-backed company is hiring former

Google employees who produced the online search giant's own AI

chip, the tensor processing unit, and has decided to develop an

AI server chip, the report added, citing three people who have

been involved.

"OpenAI is having ongoing conversations with industry and

government stakeholders about increasing access to the

infrastructure needed to ensure AI's benefits are widely

accessible," a spokesperson for OpenAI told the Information.

Bloomberg News reported earlier this year that OpenAI CEO

Sam Altman has plans to raise billions of dollars for setting up

a network of factories to manufacture semiconductors with

chipmakers Intel ( INTC ), Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co ( TSM )

and Samsung Electronics ( SSNLF ) as potential

partners.