In brief

• President Donald Trump said artificial intelligence could be “bigger than the internet, bigger than anything anyone’s seen.”
• Trump said AI regulation should not stifle the industry as the U.S. competes with China.
• The president defended AI data centers amid growing opposition to their electricity use and impact on local communities.

President Donald Trump said Wednesday that artificial intelligence could become “bigger than the internet,” as he called for regulation that does not slow the industry and defended the rapid buildout of data centers and power plants across the United States.

Trump’s remarks come as his administration pushes to maintain the U.S. lead over China by accelerating AI infrastructure projects while resisting regulations it says could slow development.

“We want to regulate, but we want to have regulation where they can continue to lead,” Trump said during a White House gathering with crypto executives and financial regulators ahead of the CFTC’s first Innovation Advisory Committee meeting. “That regulation is not going to stifle a very important industry. I think maybe bigger than the internet, bigger than anything anyone’s seen.”

Trump said China remains the closest U.S. competitor in AI and said the technology would likely be discussed when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits on September 24.

The president also touted efforts to let AI companies build power plants to supply their data centers rather than rely on the existing electrical grid.

“Our grid is old and tired and weak, so they’re building some of the greatest electric plants anywhere in the world,” he said. “They’re actually giving the excess electricity into the grid. We’re not using the power from the grid—we’re using brand‑new power.”

In March, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle and xAI signed the White House’s Ratepayer Protection Pledge, agreeing to pay for new electricity generation and infrastructure needed for their data centers.

Trump also urged governors and mayors to welcome AI infrastructure projects, pointing to construction jobs, tax revenue and investment.

“If I were the mayor of a town or the governor of a state, and I had a chance to get a big plant, an AI plant or a data center, I would absolutely want it,” Trump said. “The jobs are enormous and the money paid, the taxes paid, are just enormous.”

However, Trump acknowledged the industry “could use a little public relations help,” as opposition to AI data centers grows over electricity costs, water use and other environmental impacts.

At least 37 people have been arrested during data center protests this year, while lawmakers in 15 states have considered moratoriums on data center development.

On Tuesday, Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro signed an executive order imposing new requirements on large data centers aimed at making developers cover costs they impose on the electrical grid. Banks and asset managers are also increasingly weighing community opposition when financing projects, with at least 75 data centers worth roughly $130 billion facing local opposition in the first quarter of 2026.