OpenAI wants to rename data centres as ‘AI compute campuses’ amid growing public backlash

OpenAI is proposing to rename its data centres as ‘AI compute campuses’ amid growing public opposition to large-scale AI infrastructure projects in the US. The company says the new term better reflects the facilities' scale, energy requirements and workforce investments.

OpenAI is considering a new name for its artificial intelligence infrastructure facilities amid growing public opposition to data centre construction in the US. The company is seeking to replace the term data centres with ‘AI compute campuses’, claiming that the new term more aptly demonstrates the size of the infrastructure, energy consumption and employees needed to support its AI services.

An OpenAI spokesperson confirmed the proposed terminology change to Business Insider on Sunday. The move comes amid growing concerns over the environmental impact of AI data centres and their effects on local communities. According to Axios, OpenAI is also working on a larger-scale public relations push ahead of the 3 November US midterm elections to shape the national discourse on AI.

Why OpenAI wants to rename its data centres

The proposed name change comes as large-scale AI infrastructure projects face increasing scrutiny from residents and policymakers. According to a recent Pew Research poll, 54% of the American public thinks that AI data centres are harmful to the environment.

According to the report, OpenAI would prefer to call these facilities ‘compute campuses’ since they necessitate significant investments in hardware but also in other factors. There are also aspects of power infrastructure, land development, and skilled workers in these projects.

The backlash has led large tech firms to step up their pledges to communities where they locate facilities. Amazon and Microsoft are also announcing that they will not use non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) with local governments as part of negotiations for data centre projects, after facing backlash over the opacity surrounding them.

Pragya Singha Roy