OpenAI is preparing a public relations campaign for after the midterm elections, and one of its ideas is to change the name of the data centers it relies on. Axios reported that the company plans a “PR blitz” once voters go to the polls on Tuesday, a timeline that comes as Democrats appear likely to win back the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.
Chris Lehane, OpenAI’s chief global affairs officer, told Axios that the midterms will be “a bit of a movie trailer for what you’re going to see in 2028.” He expects artificial intelligence to be “the issue” in the presidential race that year.
What policy proposals is OpenAI pushing ahead of the midterms?
Lehane outlined several proposals the company wants to advance in the debate. They include developing AI “speed limits,” finding ways to help people see AI as something that empowers them in their daily lives, and pushing the U.S. to take a leading role in writing global standards for the technology. He also suggested a change in vocabulary: calling data centers “AI compute campuses.”
Why would OpenAI rename its data centers?
Data centers have drawn growing resentment in many communities, and the proposed rename reflects an effort to change how the facilities are perceived. Lehane acknowledged the tension. He described the current conversation around data centers as “good and healthy,” and pointed to a debate that has already pushed Amazon and Microsoft to say they will no longer use nondisclosure agreements in their negotiations with local governments.
How do communities factor into the AI data center debate?
Lehane said local officials and residents have a role to play in shaping the outcome. “Communities should hold companies responsible and accountable so they really and truly get a transformative benefit from these projects,” he said.
The report did not detail how or when the company would begin using the new name, or which specific policy proposals it would formally submit. Axios is the source for the plans described in this story, and OpenAI has not been quoted outside of Lehane’s remarks to that outlet.
This article was written with the assistance of AI.
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