Mark Cuban has said the artificial intelligence industry is fighting the wrong battle.
As The Street detailed, Cuban suggested the uproar around AI data centers is being misread. In a June 25 X post that drew over 2 million views, the billionaire entrepreneur said the backlash reflects public frustration over who is gaining from AI and how much wealth it could concentrate.
What happened?
Cuban's post criticized major AI companies' tactics as resistance to new data centers continues to grow across the U.S.
He argued that the industry has already lost a key public relations battle because it has failed to seriously address public fears about job losses, concentrated wealth, and disruption to local communities, The Street noted.
"It's time for everyone to realize that the fight against data centers has nothing to do with data centers," Cuban wrote. "They have become a proxy for the hate towards AI and the concentration and accumulation of wealth it's creating."
For Cuban, local resistance is no longer just a question of zoning or infrastructure. He said the window for simply pitching AI's benefits has already closed. He firmly rejected familiar fallback tactics, including political spending and celebrity endorsements.
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Conversely, he said companies should spend money on the kinds of help affected people actually ask for.
That would mean meeting directly with residents in towns losing jobs and funding the support they say they need. Along the same lines, AI companies can apply the same approach to artists by working with creative unions and working artists instead of relying on studios or music and film companies.
Why does it matter?
Resistance is already slowing projects nationwide.
Data Center Watch said at least 75 developments worth about $130 billion were blocked or delayed in the first quarter of 2026.
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Public opinion is also hostile, with a May Gallup survey finding that 71% of Americans opposed having AI data centers near where they live because of concerns over power use, water demand, pollution, noise, and higher utility bills.
AI tools could help improve everyday life by optimizing electricity demand, supporting cleaner energy systems, and making power grids more efficient.
At the same time, the computing infrastructure behind those tools can consume enormous amounts of electricity and water, strain local infrastructure, and deepen concerns about misuse, cybersecurity, and job displacement.
For many households, the concern is straightforward. If AI expands without clear safeguards, everyday people could end up paying more while a small group captures most of the benefits.
Cuban's argument is that community investment should be built into expansion plans rather than treated as charity.
"Billions of dollars is a lot of money across towns and city programs," he wrote on X. "Across the major LLMs, it's a cost of doing business."
What are people saying?
Cuban's central warning was that AI companies will not be able to build the capacity they want without first earning public trust. He said big LLMs "suck at putting people first."
"If you don't kiss the asses of the people that go to work every day, and are just trying to pay their bills, you will fall far far short of the capacity you need to make your business work," Cuban wrote.
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