OpenAI Changes Data Center Terminology as AI Energy Concerns Grow

OpenAI is changing how it describes the large facilities powering its artificial intelligence services, replacing the familiar term “data centers” with “compute campuses.” The terminology shift comes as AI infrastructure faces growing criticism over electricity consumption, environmental concerns, and its impact on nearby communities..New Terminology Appears in OpenAI Announcement. OpenAI introduced the phrase in an announcement for its new Grid Protectors Program, which aims to address concerns about the electricity demands of its infrastructure. The initiative will begin at a planned facility in Effingham County, Georgia. In the announcement, which was approximately 900 words long, the company used “compute campus” considerably more often than “data center.” OpenAI also described its newer facilities as different from traditional data centers, saying they could offer greater flexibility in managing electricity demand.