Key facts
- OpenAI will keep building US data centers to meet customer demand, CFO Sarah Friar told CNBC.
- OpenAI said it will no longer use non-disclosure agreements with public officials when discussing future sites.
- OpenAI will give residents access to construction plans and their potential effects, it said.
- Friar said OpenAI's business grew 70% quarter over quarter in the third quarter, with enterprise demand doubling.
- Google said on Thursday it would invest $17 billion to build its first data center in Wyoming.
- Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa made tighter scrutiny of data centers a central campaign pledge.
OpenAI will press ahead with its US data-center expansion plans despite a Democratic midterm sweep this week that has fueled fears of tighter scrutiny of the facilities, Chief Financial Officer Sarah Friar told CNBC in an interview on Friday.
"When I think about the midterms, I need to keep thinking about how do we keep investing to meet customer demand," Friar said. "We are going to keep building out those relationships with communities so we can get the compute we need," she added.
OpenAI has moved quickly to counter fears that a shift in congressional power could slow the industry's growth. It launched an effort on Thursday to win over communities as opposition to data centers becomes a rallying point for anxieties about the technology. As part of the efforts, OpenAI said it will no longer use non-disclosure agreements with public officials when negotiating or discussing future sites, and will give residents access to construction plans and their potential effects.
Growing data-center opposition was a crucial issue in the midterm elections. Democratic candidates, including Texas Governor-elect Gina Hinojosa, made tighter scrutiny of the facilities a central campaign pledge. Texas is one of the fastest-growing data-center regions in the world.
Fears the Democratic sweep may slow construction of the facilities critical to the AI boom wiped about $2.5 trillion off the US stock market on Thursday, as investors weighed the fallout for the chip, cloud and networking industries.
Friar also told CNBC that OpenAI was raising fresh capital, pushing back against suggestions the ChatGPT maker had scaled back its fundraising ambitions amid the AI stocks selloff. The company is seeking fresh capital after its business grew 70% quarter over quarter in the third quarter, with enterprise demand doubling over the same period, she said. "It (the growth) is saying people are actually using AI and getting value from it," Friar said.
The fundraising comes as market turmoil raises questions about OpenAI rival Anthropic's listing. Reuters reported on Thursday that prospective investors in Anthropic's IPO are questioning whether the AI startup can begin its roadshow next week and stay on track for a November listing. Investors are pushing for a more attractive valuation, with some viewing the recently discussed $1.5 trillion valuation as being at the high end of expectations, four people familiar with investor discussions told Reuters.