Kevin O'Leary and Tucker Carlson traded sharp words over AI data center funding during an interview published Wednesday. The "Shark Tank" investor pushed back on criticism of his planned Utah project, telling Carlson: "Welcome to America, buddy!"
Carlson pressed O'Leary on why taxpayers should help finance infrastructure that could primarily serve tech giants like Amazon, Microsoft, and Google. The conservative commentator repeatedly challenged the use of public money for private projects whose tenants include "some of the richest companies in the world."
O'Leary responded that states choosing not to offer subsidies "just won't" attract similar investments. He framed the development as critical to America's AI ambitions and framed the broader AI race as a geopolitical competition, emphasizing rivalry with China's technological growth.
The project would create new jobs benefiting the local community, O'Leary argued, though specific job figures or subsidy amounts were not disclosed in the interview. Carlson remained skeptical about the public-private arrangement.
Critics of data center subsidies argue they often funnel taxpayer money to well-capitalized corporations without guaranteed long-term local benefits. The clash highlights growing debate over how governments should support AI infrastructure development.