OpenAI is preparing a policy and public relations blitz for after the US midterm elections, according to a report by Axios. The plan includes pushing for mandatory "speed limits" on powerful AI systems and rebranding the company's data centers as "AI compute campuses."
The move signals that OpenAI wants to shape how AI is debated in Washington at a moment when data centers have become deeply unpopular with local communities, and when Democrats appear likely to win back the House of Representatives and possibly the Senate.
OpenAI's post-midterms policy agenda
OpenAI's chief global affairs officer, Chris Lehane, told Axios that the midterms will be "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 election. The company, he said, intends to influence the AI debate going forward.
Lehane outlined several proposals: developing AI "speed limits," helping people see AI as empowering in their daily lives, and pushing the United States to take a role in setting global standards. The rebranding of data centers as "AI compute campuses" is part of that effort.
- Mandatory "speed limits" for powerful AI systems
- Messaging to show AI as empowering in daily life
- US leadership on global AI standards
- Renaming data centers as "AI compute campuses"
