OpenAI is trying to win back communities wary of AI data centers. The company published a set of commitments for data centers it owns and operates, pledging to seek community input, publish construction plans and avoid non-disclosure agreements with public officials, CNBC reports. It also reaffirmed that it will pay the full cost of powering those sites.
The announcement came two days after voters in the midterms broadly rejected the rapid expansion of data centers. «What we're doing with this blueprint is really laying out the best lessons that we have learned and committing to applying them as they go forward,» Chief Global Affairs Officer Chris Lehane told reporters.
Engadget reports that the package includes a National Community Compact and a Compute Campus Policy Blueprint, and that OpenAI says it will cover the infrastructure upgrades power providers need so that costs are not passed on to nearby residents. CNBC notes that Meta, Microsoft, Google and Anthropic have outlined similar commitments.
