OpenAI shifts strategy to win public support for data centers

Democrats scored stunning victories in this week's US midterm elections, widely seen as a voter repudiation of tech industry data center plans, prompting OpenAI to launch new strategies to change public opinion. OpenAI announced Thursday it will drop non-disclosure agreements with public officials on future sites, share construction plans detailing traffic, noise, and lighting impacts, and emphasize ongoing jobs from hardware updates every three to five years. One Ohio facility is projected to create 2,500 jobs averaging $80,000 annually. The elections saw Democrats flip governorships in Texas, Georgia, and Ohio on promises to pause data center permits, and nearly all 41 related ballot measures opposed the facilities, causing shares of operators and power companies to tumble. OpenAI executives cite their political ties, including donations to Trump's inauguration and a super PAC, to address skepticism.