OpenAI is calling its planned data centers “compute campuses,” a terminology shift that arrives as communities and politicians increasingly challenge the energy demands and local impacts of AI infrastructure. Critics say a new label will do little to ease those concerns.
The company introduced the phrase Monday alongside its Grid Protectors Program, which will begin at a planned site in Effingham County, Georgia. The initiative is intended to address worries about pressure on local electricity networks, especially during emergencies and extreme weather. In the announcement, OpenAI used “compute campus” far more often than “data center,” while promising to cover the costs it creates and help keep electricity available to communities. OpenAI’s announcement also describes its facilities as more capable of adjusting their power use than older data centers.
Now loading...
The timing may be significant. Axios reported Monday that OpenAI was considering a public-relations and policy campaign that would refer to data centers as “AI compute campuses” after the midterm elections, amid expectations of tougher scrutiny if Democrats make gains. The new wording appeared before that reported timeline.
Environmental and community advocates argue that changing the terminology does not address the underlying effects of large facilities, including their energy use, pollution and demands on local resources. Holly Elmore, who leads the grassroots group PauseAI US, said the backlash is directed at the projects themselves, not simply the words used to describe them. She also criticized OpenAI’s electricity announcement as out of touch with residents’ concerns.
Abre’ Conner, director of the NAACP’s Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, called the rebranding an inadequate response to real harms. She said companies should focus on greater transparency, developing models responsibly and reconsidering the pace of infrastructure construction rather than changing what the facilities are called.
Elmore also pointed to Anthropic, which has made commitments to pay for power-grid upgrades associated with its data centers and invest in projects shaped with local leaders. The company has also pledged to protect water supplies and not require public officials to sign nondisclosure agreements. Those promises apply to facilities it owns as well as those it leases, though Anthropic has signaled plans to build more of its own infrastructure.
OpenAI did not respond to a request for comment about why it adopted the new term or whether the change is intended to distance the company from the controversy surrounding data centers.
