'Jobs Are Going To Change': Elon Musk's AI Warning Comes as Trump Reveals China's Ambitious Data Centre Push

Elon Musk warned that artificial intelligence will reshape employment as US President Donald Trump highlighted China's appetite for data centres, linking concerns over the future of work with the infrastructure race powering AI.

The comments came during a White House gathering of Trump and technology executives on 29 September, where Trump also backed rapid data-centre expansion and AI development.

Elon Musk Says 'Jobs Are Going To Change'

In footage shared by CBS News, Musk was asked what would happen to jobs in the future as AI becomes increasingly capable, with the question specifically raising concerns about 'laptop jobs.'

'Jobs are going to change,' Musk said.

He argued that this would be part of a longer technological shift, adding: 'Jobs have always changed.'

Musk compared the coming transformation with the decline of human calculation work after the arrival of digital computers. He said he expected an 'evolution of roles' as AI and robotics become more capable.

Musk also described the likely outcome of increasingly capable AI and robots as 'incredibly beneficial.'

Trump Says China Wants 'Every Data Center'

Trump then shifted the discussion towards the infrastructure needed to power AI, highlighting China's interest in data centres.

Trump said he and Musk had recently met with Chinese President Xi Jinping and then claimed China would take unwanted US data-centre capacity.

'He will take every data center that we don't want,' Trump said.

Trump added: 'They're smart. They want every data center. They want it, because that's great for China.'

He also said the US was 'leading by a lot' and would seek to maintain that position.

The comments put data-centre capacity in the context of the wider US-China competition over AI infrastructure. Trump did not give figures for China's data-centre expansion in the exchange. Separate analysis from Rystad Energy provides an indication of its scale.

China's Data Centre Capacity Is Set To Top 60GW

China had 32 gigawatts (GW) of installed data-centre capacity at the end of 2025, according to Rystad Energy.

The research forecasts another 28GW of capacity from projects expected to come online by 2030. That would take China's total installed capacity above 60GW if the announced projects materialise.

The growth is closely tied to AI and high-performance computing. Rystad estimates AI and HPC facilities will account for 39% of China's installed data-centre capacity in 2026, rising to 48% by 2030.

The figures provide separate context for Trump's comments about China's demand for data centres, while showing the scale of the country's infrastructure expansion.

AI Is Driving China's Power Demand

The expansion is also expected to significantly increase China's electricity consumption.

Rystad forecasts that China's data centres will consume 289 terawatt-hours (TWh) of electricity by 2030, more than double the level recorded in 2025. Data-centre power consumption is expected to grow at an average annual rate of 19% between 2025 and 2030, driven by AI and HPC.

China's 2026–2030 planning has also made data-centre development a strategic priority, with its 'East Data West Computing' strategy supporting major computing hubs and shifting some infrastructure towards regions with greater land and energy availability.

Musk Predicts an 'Age of Abundance'

Despite concerns about employment, Musk framed the broader impact of AI positively.

During the exchange, he referred to an 'age of abundance' and said robots and superintelligence could eventually expand access to services such as healthcare.

His central point, however, was that the nature of work would change as machines take over tasks previously performed by humans.

The remarks came as the US and China continue to invest in the computing infrastructure required to develop and operate increasingly advanced AI systems.