OpenAI drops NDAs, caps energy costs in data center deals

OpenAI's announcement comes as the tech industry scrambles to make the AI buildout more acceptable to the public. By pledging to avoid nondisclosure agreements in data center deals and to ensure facilities don't raise energy costs for residents, OpenAI is trying to set a new tone for AI policy discourse. The company is also rebranding data centers as "compute campuses" and seeking more community input, which has helped spawn a lucrative job market for "data-center liaisons." However, AI safety advocates appear skeptical about the outreach. The timing reflects rising global backlash: US voters opted to check data center construction nearly everywhere it appeared on the ballot this week, and anti-data center protests are planned for this weekend in Australia and several European countries. These events suggest that OpenAI's new policies may be an attempt to preempt growing opposition, though it remains to be seen whether they will satisfy critics.