OpenAI wants to call AI data centers 'compute campuses' to win over locals

A new name, same buildings

OpenAI told Business Insider that "compute campuses" better describes the size and purpose of what it is building for artificial intelligence ¹. The company described these as long-term commitments to computing, energy infrastructure, and skilled labor .

The aim seems clear: make the facilities sound friendlier to people living nearby, so they are less likely to protest ¹.

Nobody wants one in their backyard

Data centers have emerged as one of the most divisive issues in US politics ¹. A survey conducted earlier this year revealed that more Americans would choose to live near a nuclear power plant than beside a data center . People complain about noise, pollution, falling house prices, higher water consumption and increased electricity bills .

Even handing out money has not always worked. A data center developer in Pennsylvania offered a $10,000 grant to locals, but it failed to convince them ¹.

President Trump has long supported building data centers. He recently stated that the firms operating data centers should strike financial agreements with local communities in order to gain the support of residents ¹.

Some backers of data centers have alleged that opponents are being swayed by Chinese social media campaigns aimed at eroding America's AI edge, despite those campaigns relying on accurate facts ¹. Fox News likened the opposition to data centers to protesting against tank and plane factories during World War II .

Part of a bigger rebranding trend

This would not be the first time a technology has been recently renamed ¹. In September, Trump signed an executive order renaming artificial intelligence to "superintelligence," turning AI into SI . The Department of Justice used the term early in a statement about a fraud case . Elon Musk even renamed SpaceXA I to SpaceXSI .

OpenAI appears to be taking the lead on the data center name change, but whether locals will care about a different label remains to be seen ¹.

This story reports on a trend for information only. It is not advice or encouragement to do any of it.

Key facts

• OpenAI wants to rename data centers 'compute campuses'
• Survey found more Americans would rather live next to a nuclear plant than a data center
• A $10,000 grant from a Pennsylvania developer failed to win locals over
• Trump recently said data center companies should make financial deals with communities
• Trump signed an executive order renaming AI to 'superintelligence' in September

Sources

1. OpenAI's plan to make data centers less hated: Rename them "compute campuses" — techspot.com