OpenAI Pledges Community Engagement on Data Centers Post-Midterm Elections

Following the Democrats' victory in the US midterm elections, which secured their control of Congress, OpenAI has committed to establishing a "new standard" for community engagement amidst growing opposition to data centers in the United States. On Thursday, the company unveiled a National Community Compact. This initiative proposes policies designed to ensure that the development of compute campuses provides communities with a significant voice, safeguards families from additional costs, and equitably distributes the economic benefits of AI.

OpenAI, the creator of ChatGPT, stated its intention to fund the energy required for its planned AI infrastructure, protect local resources, provide communities with timely alerts regarding the company's impact, and publish reports detailing expected job creation in each operational area. The compact explicitly states, "We will not use non-disclosure agreements with public officials, allowing only narrow protections covering legitimate security information, trade secrets, or proprietary or competitively sensitive information."

It has been noted by some observers that OpenAI's AI compact avoids the term "data centres," opting instead to refer to them as "compute campuses" in recent communications. This shift in terminology comes as at least 40 local laws across the US were enacted during Tuesday's midterms, aimed at increasing scrutiny and restricting the construction of data centers. Common concerns surrounding these facilities include noise pollution, environmental impact, and the consumption of water and energy.

On Thursday, stock prices for AI and technology companies experienced a significant decline as investors reacted to the midterm election results. The Democratic Party is perceived as more likely to implement regulations on companies and data center construction. Senator Bernie Sanders, an Independent from Vermont who aligns with the Democrats, signaled his intent to address concerns regarding AI and data centers. He posted on social media, "Seven months ago, Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and I introduced an AI data centre moratorium. Americans don't want Big Tech oligarchs wrecking the environment, gutting jobs and threatening humanity's future. National data centre moratorium now."