In Brief
President Trump rejects calls to slow AI development while a majority of voters oppose building data centers that power it.
The collision between economic ambition and public distrust is turning AI safety into a political fight business leaders can't ignore.
What Happened
Calls from AI lab leaders to slow development have run into a White House determined to keep the industry growing. Trump dismissed fears about AI destroying humanity and rejected new guardrails. The New York Times reported that people who discussed AI with him said he feared a slowdown could trigger a market crash and recession.
Other political leaders pushed for oversight. Barack Obama supported pacing and a broader public debate, while Kamala Harris called for independent testing. California Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order to accelerate independent oversight and seek recommendations on emergency shutoffs for the most advanced AI models.
The public is hardly united behind unrestricted growth. A New York Times/Siena University poll found broad opposition to data center construction, including among Republicans.
SmarterX founder and CEO Paul Roetzer examined the tension between growth, safety, and public trust, on Episode 241 of The Artificial Intelligence Show.
The Key Numbers
61% - Likely voters opposed to AI data center construction in the Times/Siena poll
47% - Republican voters opposed to construction
Nearly 80% - Voters under 30 opposed to construction
Less than 1% - Voters naming AI or data centers as their most important November voting issue
Why Economic Growth Does Not Settle the AI Safety Debate
The economic incentive is powerful. Roetzer sees AI investment and data center construction as increasingly important to the economy, including blue-collar employment. That gives the administration a strong reason to resist anything that threatens the boom, particularly before an election. Competition with China adds another argument for moving faster.
Public distrust crosses party lines. The polling complicates that strategy. Opposition to data centers can reflect environmental concerns, pressure on local communities, or distrust of AI itself. Supporting oversight therefore does not fit neatly into one party's position.
“I don't know why he's lashing out specifically at AI safety and regulation efforts,” says Roetzer. He points to support for oversight within Trump's own party and negative views of data centers among Republican voters.
Slowing one kind of development would not necessarily stop adoption. Roetzer questions the assumption that restrictions on the most aggressive AI research would automatically derail economic growth. Businesses still have enormous room to use existing models. Demand for computing power could continue even with limits on recursive self-improvement, which is AI helping to develop more capable versions of AI.
“I don't know that the economy slows down,” Roetzer says. That's not a prediction that restrictions would carry no costs but separates the demand for useful AI today from the race to build increasingly autonomous systems.
“There's still going to be tremendous demand for computing power.”
— Paul Roetzer, founder and CEO of SmarterX on Episode 241 of The Artificial Intelligence Show
SmarterX Take
Business leaders face their own version of this tension. The opportunity to improve work with AI is real. So are employees' concerns about jobs, safety, and who controls the technology. Dismissing those concerns because the tools are useful makes it harder to earn the trust needed for adoption.
Separate the decisions. A company can train its people and apply available tools while asking harder questions about autonomous systems and vendor accountability. Responsible adoption requires explaining where AI creates value, where human judgment remains necessary, and what limits the organization will enforce on AI.
What to Watch
The connection between AI and jobs could change the political debate. AI ranked low as a standalone voting priority in the poll while the economy led. Roetzer argues that connecting AI to employment and economic anxiety could make it more influential in the midterms. The important question is whether that connection produces workable oversight.
How Prepared Are Companies to Govern AI Themselves?
Only 13% of respondents to the 2026 State of AI for Business Report say their organizations have all four governance foundations: an AI council, a roadmap, generative AI policies, and an AI ethics policy. While politicians argue about national safeguards, many businesses still lack the internal structure to guide their own adoption. Leaders have room to act on those gaps now.
Based on more than 2,100 responses from professionals across roles, functions, and industries, the report examines adoption, governance, training, and the gap between individual progress and organizational readiness. It offers a benchmark for assessing the support your own team needs. Read the full report →
Mike Kaput
Mike Kaput is the Chief Content Officer at SmarterX and a leading voice on the application of AI in business. He is the co-author of Marketing Artificial Intelligence and co-host of The Artificial Intelligence Show podcast.