Critics question OpenAI’s move to quietly rename data centers ‘compute campuses’ amid rising opposition

A new name for infrastructure

OpenAI’s Monday announcement introduced the Grid Protectors Program and described its planned Effingham County, Georgia, location as a “compute campus.” In the roughly 900-word announcement, “compute campus” appeared more often than “data center,” which was mentioned twice. The program is intended to address worries about electricity use and whether consumers could bear costs from AI infrastructure. OpenAI says it will pay the costs it creates and help communities keep electricity available. It also says its newer facilities can be more flexible about power demand, without providing details in the announcement described here.

Timing and political pressure

The terminology appears to be new for OpenAI: a search of the company’s website found no earlier uses. The Verge’s report says the company compared its newer facilities with data centers built several years ago, describing them as substantially different.

Axios reported on Monday that OpenAI planned to call data centers “AI compute campuses” as part of a policy and public-relations effort after Tuesday’s midterm elections. The report said the company anticipated a more hostile regulatory climate if Democrats made gains; OpenAI’s announcement using the terminology came on Monday.

Critics want practical changes

Critics say a new label will not reduce environmental effects or the demands these facilities place on nearby resources. They also argue it will not resolve concerns among residents who live near the projects.

Holly Elmore, founder and executive director of PauseAI US, said the terminology responds to data centers’ unpopularity but does not address the construction projects behind that opposition. Abre’ Conner, who leads the NAACP’s Center for Environmental and Climate Justice, called the approach an empty solution and said changing the name does not fix the infrastructure’s harms.