OpenAI is bringing a data center to Georgia. Here's what's planned

With the rise of AI comes the construction of new data centers across the country.

On Wednesday, the company behind ChatGPT announced plans for a new 3.2-gigawatt data center coming to Georgia under the name Project Camellia.

Here's what we know so far.

Who owns ChatGPT?

ChatGPT was launched in November 2022 by OpenAI, headquartered in San Francisco.

What is an AI data center?

Data centers house computer infrastructure like servers, networking equipment and supporting systems. They existed before as the physical infrastructure of the Internet, but construction on them has accelerated in recent years for the purpose of supporting AI technology.

While they do have support from allies citing innovation and high-paying job creation, they've also been met with a lot of resistance in communities. Opponents argue that they take up a huge amount of space, create excessive noise, and are damaging to the environment.

Where is the new OpenAI data center?

OpenAI's new data center will be at the Savannah Gateway Industrial Hub in Rincon, Georgia, less than 40 minutes from downtown Savannah. The company said it chose the area because it's a pre-existing industrial area already intended for large-scale development.

Regarding the electricity needed, OpenAI is committing to paying the full infrastructure and electric service costs. Georgia Power reported in a press release that OpenAI will provide up to 1,000MW of flexible demand response to reduce power in times of high demand. Georgia Power will also have the ability to reduce energy at the facility to ensure the grid's stability and reliability.

Talking of water usage, OpenAI said it will use a closed-loop water system, recirculating water rather than continuously consuming it. The company promised that water will not divert from local communities, and its ongoing water needs will match those of a typical office building. According to a UGA field report, this method reduces water consumption by up to 70%, but will cost more and require greater system complexity.

As an extra incentive, OpenAI is committing $80 million in local support separate from tax revenue for schools, utilities, housing and more; plus $71 million in credits for Georgia college students to use Codex, OpenAI's signature coding platform.

The company is reportedly investing $20 billion to begin construction and has said it expects the project to be privately funded without the use of public money or local taxpayers. A publicly available audit will be conducted annually by an independent third party to ensure OpenAI is meeting all of its stated commitments.

When will the new OpenAI data center open?

OpenAI says "planning contemplates phased development between 2028 and 2032, with initial capacity potentially coming online beginning in 2028. The project’s ultimate scale and timing will depend on permitting, infrastructure, financing, community engagement, construction, and other development milestones."

OpenAI jobs

OpenAI's career page does not currently list any jobs in Georgia. However, there are various remote U.S. jobs available in fields like engineering, accounting and management.

What happened with OpenAI and Hugging Face?

On Tuesday, OpenAI admitted that two of its models were able to escape a controlled test, plotted a course to the open Internet, and hacked into popular AI developer Hugging Face. This marks the first documented case of a fully autonomous AI cyberattack, according to Politico.

The incident has helped spur lawmakers in advancing legislation regarding AI safety and security, with Sen. Mark Warner of the Senate Intelligence Committee saying in a statement, "This is precisely why we need secure testing with government agencies engaged and having visibility throughout the process."

Miguel Legoas is a Deep South Connect Team Reporter for USA Today. Find him on Instagram @miguelegoas and email at[email protected].