OpenAI Seeks Public Support as US Backlash Against Data Centers Grows - ColombiaOne.com
By Google News AI ·
OpenAI is trying to persuade Americans that the data centers powering artificial intelligence can benefit host communities, as local opposition grows and voters back candidates promising tighter controls.
On Nov. 5, the company announced commitments covering electricity costs, water use, construction impacts and public input. It also said it would stop using nondisclosure agreements (NDAs) with public officials during discussions about potential sites, while retaining limited protections for security information and trade secrets.
The announcement came two days after the U.S. midterm elections, in which Democrats won gubernatorial races in Texas, Georgia and Ohio with candidates who had promised to pause new data center permits or tighten construction rules. At the local level, all but one of 41 data center-related ballot measures voted on during the election went against the projects, according to Reuters.
Data centers are large facilities filled with computer servers that require substantial amounts of electricity and, depending on their cooling systems, water. Residents have raised concerns about pressure on power grids, higher utility costs, strain on water supplies, noise, traffic and lighting.
OpenAI’s response combines commitments for its own future facilities with policy proposals it wants governments to apply across the industry. The company has also begun calling these facilities “compute campuses,” emphasizing their role in the infrastructure behind AI systems.
The company published a National Community Compact setting out commitments for future data center campuses that it owns and operates. OpenAI says it will involve residents early enough for their views to shape project plans, provide a local contact throughout each facility’s operation and publish…
Originally published by Google News AI