OpenAI CFO says data center expansion will continue despite midterm backlash

OpenAI will continue investing in data centers despite the results of the U.S. midterm elections, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told CNBC, according to Reuters and reports by IndiaTimes, Deccan Chronicle, Benzinga and Yahoo. Her remarks came amid opposition to data center projects, Brave New Coin reported.

In a November 6 CNBC interview, Friar addressed concerns over electricity use, water consumption and noise around AI facilities, Brave New Coin reported. She said OpenAI would work with local utilities and invest in electricity infrastructure, while promising that the company would not shift its energy costs onto households, according to the outlet. Friar said OpenAI had promised not to raise customers’ electricity bills, Brave New Coin reported.

The comments followed OpenAI’s November 5 announcement of a National Community Compact, according to Brave New Coin. The framework sets out commitments for future computing campuses owned and operated by OpenAI. The company said it would cover the electricity consumed by those facilities, the outlet reported. It also described commitments to invest in local power grids and use recyclable water at the data centers.

The issue has become a point of public concern as communities weigh the effects of large-scale computing facilities, Brave New Coin reported. Friar said the company understood residents’ worries about the financial impact of infrastructure growth and would seek closer relationships with communities hosting its sites, according to the outlet.

The reports describe OpenAI’s plans to press ahead with expansion even as the midterm results sharpen scrutiny of data center projects. Reuters and the other outlets reported that Friar’s position was that election outcomes would not halt the company’s investment. Brave New Coin’s account also highlighted the company’s commitments on electricity costs and infrastructure as part of its response to local concerns.