OpenAI no longer wants to use the term “data centers” to refer to the massive infrastructure facilities that power ChatGPT and other AI models. Instead, the developer is proposing a fancy new name: “compute campuses.”
OpenAI no longer wants to use the term “data centers” to refer to the massive infrastructure facilities that power ChatGPT and other AI models. Instead, the developer is proposing a fancy new name: “compute campuses.”
An OpenAI representative confirmed this information to Business Insider.
“The name ‘computing campuses’ more accurately describes the scale and role of the infrastructure we are building for artificial intelligence. These are long-term investments in computing power, energy infrastructure, and a highly skilled workforce,” a company spokesperson said.
The rebranding is part of the company's broader PR strategy. Traditional data centers are in decline: according to a recent Pew Research poll, 54% of Americans believe they are bad for the environment. The issue of building AI infrastructure has even become a key issue in the US midterm elections.
While other tech giants — Meta, Amazon, and Microsoft — are trying to improve their image by investing millions of dollars in the development of local communities and schools, OpenAI is betting on a complete, meaningful rebranding.
“We want the local communities where this infrastructure is located to help shape it and share in the opportunities it creates,” the OpenAI spokesperson added.
OpenAI is also preparing for a possible “blue wave” (a Democratic victory) in the midterm elections. This could lead to increased government regulation of artificial intelligence, so the company is trying to improve the perception of its objects by society and regulators in advance.
