OpenAI Presses Ahead With Data Center Investment

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a CNBC interview on the 6th, local time, that the company would keep investing in data centers to meet customer demand, regardless of the U.S. midterm election results. Friar said OpenAI’s investment plans had not changed and that the election would not substantially alter its business strategy. Democratic candidates won in places including Texas and Ohio, where opposition to data center construction has been strong. After voters signaled that opposition, AI-related stocks also fell sharply.

Friar said OpenAI recorded 1.2 billion weekly active users in the third quarter and doubled its enterprise revenue. She cited those figures as evidence that demand for AI is real. On opposition to data centers, she said the company would build trust with local communities by addressing electricity price increases, water shortages and noise, and by directly supporting priorities such as free school meals and park development.

The day after the election, OpenAI announced its National Community Compact, pledging to cover the full cost of electricity and grid construction for data centers it owns and operates. The compact also provides financial guarantees so communities would not bear costs if data center plans are canceled or changed, and calls for water-use plans to address shortages.

Democratic candidates who emphasized AI regulation won many races, prompting expectations that restrictions on data center construction could tighten. Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa pledged to immediately halt data center construction until state-level protections for residents are in place. In Ohio, where OpenAI announced plans for what it called the world’s largest data center, Democrats won both the Senate and gubernatorial elections, leaving the project’s prospects uncertain. Despite these local election results, Friar said OpenAI would continue investing. The reporter said the commitment to continued investment was presented alongside plans to support local residents; the compact also covers protection from costs tied to plan changes and measures to address water shortages.

OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said in a CNBC interview on the 6th, local time, that the company would keep investing in data centers to meet customer demand, regardless of the U.S. midterm election results. Friar said OpenAI’s investment plans had not changed and that the election would not substantially alter its business strategy. Democratic candidates won in places including Texas and Ohio, where opposition to data center construction has been strong. After voters signaled that opposition, AI-related stocks also fell sharply.

Friar said OpenAI recorded 1.2 billion weekly active users in the third quarter and doubled its enterprise revenue. She cited those figures as evidence that demand for AI is real. On opposition to data centers, she said the company would build trust with local communities by addressing electricity price increases, water shortages and noise, and by directly supporting priorities such as free school meals and park development.

The day after the election, OpenAI announced its National Community Compact, pledging to cover the full cost of electricity and grid construction for data centers it owns and operates. The compact also provides financial guarantees so communities would not bear costs if data center plans are canceled or changed, and calls for water-use plans to address shortages.

Democratic candidates who emphasized AI regulation won many races, prompting expectations that restrictions on data center construction could tighten. Texas governor-elect Gina Hinojosa pledged to immediately halt data center construction until state-level protections for residents are in place. In Ohio, where OpenAI announced plans for what it called the world’s largest data center, Democrats won both the Senate and gubernatorial elections, leaving the project’s prospects uncertain. Despite these local election results, Friar said OpenAI would continue investing. The reporter said the commitment to continued investment was presented alongside plans to support local residents; the compact also covers protection from costs tied to plan changes and measures to address water shortages.