OpenAI is quietly renaming data centers ‘compute campuses’

Critics say OpenAI should tackle peoples’ concerns about data centers, not rebrand them. Critics say OpenAI should tackle peoples’ concerns about data centers, not rebrand them. People hate data centers . They’re loud, resource-hungry eyesores that are so profoundly unpopular they have managed to achieve the near-impossible in today’s polarized political landscape: genuine bipartisan opposition . But what about “compute campuses”? Those sound lovely, right? OpenAI seems to be gambling that a quiet rebrand could be all it takes to defuse the growing political backlash that threatens to derail the infrastructure fueling the AI boom. OpenAI debuted the new terminology on Monday in an announcement launching its new “Grid Protectors Program.” The initiative, starting with an upcoming site in Effingham County, Georgia, aims to address concerns about the strain its sprawling AI infrastructure places on local power grids, particularly during extreme weather and emergencies. It’s a familiar data center problem. On Monday, Axios reported that OpenAI was planning to rebrand data centers as “AI compute campuses” as part of a policy and PR push after Tuesday’s midterms, anticipating a more hostile regulatory environment if Democrats make gains.