OpenAI works to build support for $20 billion Project Camellia amid some community opposition

As artificial intelligence data centers face growing resistance nationwide, OpenAI is working to build community support in Effingham County for Project Camellia, one of the largest private investments ever proposed in coastal Georgia. A recent Gallup survey found that seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of AI data centers in their local communities. In Effingham County, OpenAI’s proposed $20 billion campus has generated public protests, legal challenges and questions from residents about the project’s potential impact. OpenAI Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar addressed those concerns Thursday while attending a business summit at Springfield’s historic Mars Theatre. Before delivering the keynote address, Friar sat down with WJCL 22 News to discuss the investment, its potential economic benefits and the opposition surrounding it.