# OpenAI rebrands data centers after midterm losses > Voters rejected 40 of 41 ballot measures limiting data centers. OpenAI's chief says calling them 'compute campuses' reflects what they actually do. - Title: OpenAI rebrands data centers after midterm losses · Vox - Summary: Voters rejected 40 of 41 ballot measures limiting data centers. OpenAI's chief says calling them 'compute campuses' reflects what they actually do. - Keywords: openai, data centers, compute campuses, chris lehane, 2026 midterms, ai regulation, public opposition, sam altman, 2028 election, ai safety, Vox - Source: Vox — https://vox.com/podcasts/510722/openai-chris-lehane-data-center-rebrand-2026-midterms-regulation - Author: Miles Bryan - Published: 2026-11-13T17:35:00+00:00 - Read time: 3 min - Topics: openai, data centers, compute campuses, chris lehane, 2026 midterms, ai regulation, public opposition, sam altman, 2028 election, ai safety, news, culture ## Voters reject data center expansion Out of forty-one local ballot initiatives limiting data center buildout, forty of them passed, according to the New York Times. Republicans also lost in the midterms. ## OpenAI acknowledges the damage Chris Lehane, chief global affairs officer for OpenAI, told Today, Explained that the midterms were tough. He said he could show metaphorical bruises from the losses. > I could take my shirt off and show you my [metaphorical] bruises if you want. ## Lehane on a listening tour Lehane spoke from rural Texas, where he said he was on a listening and learning tour of communities around the site of a massive OpenAI data center. ## The rebrand: compute campuses OpenAI is rebranding data centers as compute campuses. Lehane said the company was intentional in using that phrase with full knowledge people would be skeptical. ## Why the name change matters Data centers have existed for twenty-odd years as empty boxes in pastures. AI facilities are fundamentally different because they generate compute, the raw computing power to train AI systems. ## Jobs and economic transformation These facilities create real jobs, six-figure jobs, not just a handful of people. They offer huge opportunities for economic transformation if communities approach it strategically. ## The PR problem is real Seventy percent of the country, maybe more, says they are against data centers. OpenAI has roughly six projects up and running in different stages of development. ## Learning from each project Lehane said each project has been a laboratory of democracy where OpenAI learns and applies lessons to the next one. The company got the fundamental insight right from the beginning. ## What went wrong before Many communities saw companies building data centers, transferring electricity costs to the public, potentially impacting water, and not doing necessary community investments. ## OpenAI's new approach OpenAI now pays for its own electricity and energy. It uses closed water loops, large radiators filled once to preserve water and avoid depleting local supplies. ## Data centers are state and local issues Lehane said data center regulation is typically a state or local matter. OpenAI envisioned state legislation requiring material public benefits from data center builders. ## National AI safety standards OpenAI called for national-level mandatory safety requirements for frontier labs building AI before the election. Lehane said this is more important than ever now. ## The policy window is opening In early September, Lehane wrote that the policy window was opening to pass mandatory safety requirements. He said the politics were clearly moving toward this outcome. ## Speed limits for AI development When asked about banning recursive self-improvement, Lehane proposed broadly defined speed limits. He compared it to speed limits for automobiles to keep humans in control. > As we were building out the automobile, ultimately we built out speed limits. ## AI will dominate 2028 Lehane called 2026 the trailer to 2028. AI was an issue in 2026 but there is a decent chance, maybe even a strong chance, it will be the issue in 2028. ## Candidates need real ideas Lehane said candidates from either party cannot win by simply being against things. They need real ideas about how to address public anxiety about controlling their lives. > I just don't think it's going to be good enough for a candidate from either party to emerge from their primary by simply being the person who's against things. ## The social contract question The 2026 election sets up 2028 for both parties to have a conversation about what the social contract looks like and what role AI will play in the American dream. ## Key takeaway OpenAI is rebranding data centers as compute campuses and pledging community engagement after voters backed 40 of 41 ballot measures restricting data center buildout in the 2026 midterms.