(March 5): Singapore's Temasek Holdings is in discussions to invest in Microsoft-backed artificial intelligence company OpenAI, the Financial Times reported on Tuesday, citing two people familiar with the matter.

Senior executives at Singapore's state investment firm have met ChatGPT maker's CEO, Sam Altman, multiple times in recent months, the report added.

OpenAI did not immediately respond to Reuters requests for comment, while Temasek declined to comment on the report.

Altman has reportedly been in talks to raise about US$5 trillion to US$7 trillion for a network of AI chip factories.

AI startups attracted one out of every three dollars invested last year in the United States, reflecting a surge in investor interest after OpenAI's ChatGPT grabbed the spotlight and startups raced to develop AI technology.

Temasek is an active investor in the tech sector with a portfolio valued at S$382 billion (US$284.21 billion), as of March 31. Some of the companies in the portfolio include Roblox, Tencent and Alibaba.

The launch of OpenAI's ChatGPT in late 2022 brought attention to generative AI technologies, spurring billions in investments on chips and servers required to support the adoption of such applications.