Bigger than internet, oil, gold, diamonds: Trump says AI, data centres will be ‘greatest economic development engine’

US President Donald Trump on Monday asserted that artificial intelligence (AI) and data centres will become the “greatest economic development engine in history”, surpassing industries such as oil, gold, diamonds and internet, while opposing regulatory measures that he believes could constrain the sector.

In a post on Truth Social, Trump questioned why AI industry leaders would call for regulation that, if strongly implemented, could push companies towards “oblivion and bankruptcy”. He dismissed concerns about AI potentially taking over the world or destroying humanity as a “hoax”.

Also read: Anthropic's Dario pretending to be 'perfect little angel': Trump says US has ‘tremendous’ power over AI firms


The US president also pointed to Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent comments on AI, saying China would not do anything to stand in the way of the technology or its future. He also cited Google’s plans to build a large plant in Finland, attributing the move to difficulties with permitting in the US.

“I am not happy about this, and want them to change their thinking,” Trump said, referring to companies choosing to expand outside the US. He said AI and data centres would drive economic development on a scale larger than oil, gold, diamonds or the internet.

Trump also warned against what he called “destructive forces” seeking to constrain the sector, saying AI’s growth “will not be stopped” during his presidency.

AI leaders warn against moving too fast

Trump’s comments came as some of the biggest names in the AI industry pushed back against the administration’s resistance to tighter oversight. Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei has called for a slower pace of AI development, warning that increasingly capable AI systems could create significant risks without adequate safeguards.

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also backed the case for pacing AI development, saying that “no amount of American competitive pressure should justify recklessness” and that capabilities should not get ahead of alignment and monitoring. He said government help would be needed for international coordination on AI.

Microsoft, meanwhile, published a code of conduct aimed at ensuring humans remain in control of AI systems. The moves followed a series of warnings over the capabilities of advanced AI models, including a July 2026 cyberattack involving OpenAI models that targeted AI company Hugging Face.

Also read: Trump dismisses new AI guardrails, says there is a 'SICK conspiracy' against AI and data centers

"SICK conspiracy against AI and data centres"

Trump has framed the debate over AI regulation as a question of US competitiveness with China. He argued that imposing excessive restrictions on AI and data-centre development could undermine America’s lead in the technology and allow China to catch up.

“There is a SICK conspiracy going on against AI and Data Centers, and the only one that is happy about it is China,” Trump said in a separate post.

He has repeatedly opposed efforts to impose greater government oversight on AI. The administration has also argued that excessive regulation could slow the buildout of AI infrastructure, which has become an important driver of demand for advanced chips, data centres and construction materials.