OpenAI Plans PR Push Including Rebranding Data Centers as ‘AI Compute Campuses
OpenAI’s Chris Lehane is proposing “AI compute campuses” to soften opposition to data centers, alongside AI “speed limits” and global standards. He called the 2026 midterms a preview of AI’s expected role in the 2028 presidential race.
OpenAI is preparing a public relations campaign following the 2026 midterm elections, with proposals that include rebranding data centers as “AI compute campuses” and developing AI “speed limits,” according to a report from Axios published November 1, 2026.
The company’s chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, outlined the strategy to Axios ahead of the midterms, in which Democrats appeared likely to win back the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate. Lehane described the elections as “a bit of a movie trailer for what you’re going to see in 2028,” when he expects AI to be “the issue” in the presidential race.
Among the proposals Lehane discussed: finding ways to help people see AI as empowering in their daily lives, pushing the U.S. to take a leading role in developing global standards, and rebranding data centers — facilities that have faced significant public opposition — under the more palatable name “AI compute campuses.”
Lehane also addressed the broader debate around data center development, calling it “good and healthy.” That debate has already prompted Amazon and Microsoft to say they will no longer use NDAs in their negotiations with local governments. “Communities should hold companies responsible and accountable so they really and truly get a transformative benefit from these projects,” Lehane said.
The planned campaign suggests OpenAI is looking to shape public and political perception of AI ahead of what could be a contentious election cycle. Whether a naming change for data centers would meaningfully shift community opposition remains to be seen, but the move signals that OpenAI views public trust as a key battleground in the AI debate moving forward.