OpenAI Plans to Rename Data Centers as AI Compute Campuses

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Data centers frequently meet resistance? What if we give them a different name...

According to reports, after the U.S. midterm elections on Tuesday, OpenAI will launch a "public relations blitz" to adapt to the new situation, including renaming data centers as "AI Compute Campuses."

After two years of an AI-friendly "White House in control," outside observers predict that Democrats are likely to win a majority of House seats on Tuesday, at which point AI companies will face a harsher political environment. Meanwhile, a wave of resistance to AI infrastructure is spreading across the United States. Since the start of this year, multiple data center projects with a total value of up to $100 billion have been forced to delay or stall.

OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane said: "You can try to chase the timing, or influence the timing through the power of ideas." He called Tuesday "an election gateway from one era to the next."

He disclosed that the company is considering a series of measures, including setting so-called "speed limits" for AI development, helping the public understand more intuitively how AI improves daily life, and pushing for U.S. participation in setting global AI standards. One particularly notable proposal is to repackage traditional data centers as "AI Compute Campuses."

An OpenAI spokesperson also confirmed the above on Sunday. The spokesperson said: "'Compute campuses' more accurately describes the scale and role of the infrastructure we are building for artificial intelligence. These are long-term investments in computing, energy infrastructure, and skilled talent."

Lehane also called the social discussion around data centers "a good and healthy discussion."

He said communities have the right to hold companies accountable and to ensure that these large projects can truly bring transformative benefits to local areas. He said: "Communities should hold companies accountable so that they can truly obtain transformative benefits from these projects."

Although large data center builders such as Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft have pledged to donate millions of dollars to communities and schools around their data centers, bias against "data centers" has always been difficult to dispel. OpenAI believes that a thorough rebranding will help reverse public opinion.

An OpenAI spokesperson said: "We hope that the communities hosting this infrastructure can help shape it and share in the opportunities it creates."

Looking at the broader AI industry, other tech companies are also preparing for a possible "blue wave" (that is, Democrats gaining control of Congress). According to reports, Meta is taking steps to strengthen its relationship with the Democratic Party. Other large AI and tech companies are expected to take similar actions.

Analysis points out that tech giants close to President Trump will become the primary targets of the Democratic Party, which is eager to increase scrutiny and regulatory pressure on the industry.

Finally, Lehane pointed out that the midterm elections will be "a bit like a trailer for 2028 (the general election)," and he expects that AI will become a "key issue" in the presidential election by then.

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