OpenAI limits secrecy in data-centre talks and promises local compacts
OpenAI has pledged to stop using broad confidentiality agreements with public officials discussing its data centres. Its community compact also promises payment of electricity and supporting infrastructure costs, local hiring disclosures and agreements reflecting community priorities at future campuses it owns and operates. Narrow protections for security and commercially sensitive information remain.
Artificial Intelligence··Evening
Public-official talks get narrower confidentiality rules
OpenAI, an artificial-intelligence company, has pledged to stop using broad nondisclosure agreements with public officials over its data-centre projects. The new National Community Compact retains narrow protections for legitimate security information, trade secrets and proprietary or competitively sensitive material. The policy concerns what can be kept confidential during discussions between the developer and public authorities. It follows scrutiny of agreements that concealed such discussions.[1], [2]
Electricity and hiring commitments enter the compact
OpenAI promises to pay the full cost of the electricity it consumes and the infrastructure needed to supply it. Local employment is another part of the commitments: the company will publish the jobs it expects to create and report on hiring. These promises describe how OpenAI intends to disclose its projects’ costs and employment opportunities in the communities hosting them.[1]
Future owned campuses will have local agreements
Every future computing campus that OpenAI owns and operates is to have a local compact containing the commitments and reflecting local priorities. The announcement follows US midterm elections in which opposition to data-centre expansion was prominent. Amazon had announced in October that it would stop using nondisclosure agreements with government agencies on its data-centre projects. OpenAI’s undertaking covers the future campuses it owns and operates.[1]
