Operation Stargate: 2025

As reported by CBS News and Newsweek, Project Stargate, a $500 billion artificial intelligence venture backed by OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, has been unveiled by the Trump administration in 2025, aiming to solidify the United States' position as a global leader in AI technology through massive infrastructure investments.

Operation Stargate AI Initiative

Unveiled in January 2025, this ambitious AI infrastructure project involves a collaboration between tech giants OpenAI, Oracle, and SoftBank, with an initial investment of $100 billion, potentially expanding to $500 billion over four years12. The initiative aims to construct extensive AI infrastructure across the United States, including:

• 10 data centers, each approximately 500,000 square feet, with the first location in Abilene, Texas
• Expansion plans for 20 data centers in Abilene and additional sites across 16 states
• Focus on AI development, healthcare advancements, and energy infrastructure modernization
• Projected creation of hundreds of thousands of jobs

The Trump administration is facilitating the project through executive actions, including declaring a "national energy emergency" to boost oil and gas usage and supporting the construction of data centers on federal land.

CIA's Original Stargate Project

Established in 1977 at Fort Meade, Maryland, the original Stargate Project was a secret U.S. government program focused on exploring psychic phenomena, particularly remote viewing. The project, initially run by the Defense Intelligence Agency (DIA) and later transferred to CIA oversight, went through several code names including "Gondola Wish," "Grill Flame," and "Sun Streak" before being consolidated as "Stargate" in 1991. Despite decades of research and millions of dollars spent, the program was terminated and declassified in 1995 after a CIA-commissioned report concluded it had never been useful in any intelligence operation.

Findings of CIA Stargate Review

The CIA's 1995 retrospective review of the Stargate Project yielded several key findings that ultimately led to its termination. Statistician Jessica Utts found a statistically significant effect in laboratory settings, with government psychics reportedly accurate about 15 percent of the time. However, the review concluded that no remote viewing report had successfully provided actionable information for intelligence operations1. The program was plagued by inconsistent results and poor performance in its later years. Critics pointed out methodological concerns, including issues with experimental design, lack of independent verification, and potential conflicts of interest in judging outcomes3. Based on these findings, the American Institutes for Research (AIR) recommended closing the program, leading to its declassification and termination in 1995.

Controversies Surrounding Stargate

The recent incarnation of Stargate as an AI initiative under the Trump administration has sparked several controversies. Elon Musk publicly questioned the project's $500 billion funding, particularly SoftBank's ability to contribute, while political tensions arose between Trump allies, notably Musk and OpenAI's Sam Altman. Critics argue that the massive AI infrastructure project could potentially destabilize the global economy and widen the technological gap between developed and developing nations. Environmental concerns have also been raised due to the energy-intensive nature of the proposed data centers, especially in light of Trump's simultaneous push for increased fossil fuel extraction.

The Stargate Project, both in its original form as a CIA program and in its recent incarnation as an AI initiative under the Trump administration, has been surrounded by controversy. Here are the most contentious aspects:

Original CIA Stargate Project (1970s-1995)

1. Questionable scientific validity: The project's focus on remote viewing and other paranormal phenomena was heavily criticized for lacking scientific rigor.
2. Ineffectiveness: The CIA's retrospective review concluded that the project never provided actionable intelligence for any operation.
3. Methodological flaws: David Marks identified six negative design features in the experiments, including potential sensory leakage and lack of independent replication.
4. Conflict of interest: The project's principal investigator, Edwin May, also served as a judge, raising concerns about objectivity and potential fraud.
5. Misuse of government resources: Critics argued that millions of dollars were wasted on a program that yielded no valuable intelligence.

Trump Administration's Stargate AI Project (2025)

1. Financial concerns: Elon Musk publicly questioned the project's $500 billion funding, particularly SoftBank's ability to contribute.
2. Political tensions: The project has sparked conflicts between Trump allies, notably Elon Musk and Sam Altman of OpenAI.
3. Economic disruption: Critics argue that the massive AI infrastructure project could potentially destabilize the global economy.
4. Technological inequality: The project's focus on large-scale infrastructure may widen the AI divide between developed and developing nations.
5. Environmental impact: The energy-intensive data centers required for the project raise sustainability concerns, especially given Trump's simultaneous push for fossil fuel extraction.
6. Government secrecy: The project has reignited debates about government transparency, reminiscent of concerns raised about the original Stargate Project.

Citations:

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stargate_Project_(U.S._Army_unit)
2. https://builtin.com/articles/stargate-project
3. https://www.reddit.com/r/Stargate/comments/wl7s5z/consequences_of_the_stargate_program/
4. https://dig.watch/updates/stargate-ai-project-sparks-tension-between-trump-and-musk
5. https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2025-01-23/what-is-the-trump-backed-stargate-ai-project-and-why-is-it-controversial
6. https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/stargate-ai-initiative-bold-leap-forward-risky-gamble-scopelliti-7nokc
7. https://www.cia.gov/readingroom/docs/CIA-RDP96-00789R002800180001-2.pdf
8. https://www.ki-company.ai/en/blog-beitraege/stargate-how-donald-trumps-a--project-is-changing-the-tech-world