Mark Cuban Says AI Giants Must 'Kiss the Asses' of Everyday Workers or Risk Losing Expansion Battle

Artificial intelligence companies are pouring billions into new data centers, racing to build the infrastructure that will power the next generation of AI. But billionaire entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban says their biggest obstacle is no longer technology. It's people.

In a blunt post on X, Cuban warned that AI companies are losing the public long before they win the AI race. His message was impossible to miss: if tech giants want to keep expanding, they need to stop talking about AI's potential and start listening to the workers and communities who fear they'll be left behind.

'Given the number of data centers and power that is needed, today and going forward, 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.

Why Mark Cuban Thinks AI Has a Trust Problem

The latest Mark Cuban AI warning goes well beyond chatbots or software. Cuban believes the backlash surrounding AI data centers reflects something much deeper than concerns over buildings or electricity.

'The fight against data centers has nothing to do with data centers,' he wrote.

Instead, he argued that they have become a symbol of growing frustration over the wealth being created by artificial intelligence. At the same time, many workers worry about AI job displacement and their own financial future.

That shift in public sentiment, Cuban suggested, is something many AI companies have failed to recognize.

The Real Expansion Battle

Cuban's warning comes as companies continue investing billions in AI infrastructure to train increasingly powerful large language models.

Across the United States, however, new AI data centers have also sparked opposition from residents concerned about electricity demand, water consumption, environmental impact, and land use. In several communities, proposed projects have faced public resistance, adding pressure to an industry already navigating growing scrutiny.

For Cuban, these disputes are not simply about infrastructure. They are a sign that many people no longer believe AI companies are building a future that includes them.

'The big LLMs have lost the PR battle,' he wrote.

Workers Want More Than AI Promises

Cuban has long argued that jobs in artificial intelligence will eventually outnumber those lost to automation. Even so, he acknowledged that workers facing immediate disruption deserve more than optimistic predictions.

Rather than sending executives on another media tour to explain AI's benefits, Cuban said developers should visit towns likely to be affected by automation and ask a simple question, what do you need?

'How can they help? They will tell you. You will need to do what they ask.'

He argued that investing billions in local education, workforce development, or community programs should be viewed as a normal cost of doing business, not an afterthought.

Artists Should Be Part of the Conversation

Cuban reserved some of his strongest comments for the creative community, where concerns over generative AI continue to grow.

He urged AI companies to meet directly with artists and creative unions in cities like Los Angeles and New York instead of negotiating through film studios or music companies.

'Every creative I know is TERRIFIED about what AI will do to their profession,' Cuban wrote.

Writers, illustrators, musicians, actors, and designers have all raised concerns about how AI models are trained and how rapidly generative AI is changing creative work. Cuban believes those voices deserve a direct seat at the table.

Silicon Valley Cannot Buy Public Trust

Perhaps Cuban's most controversial criticism was aimed at Silicon Valley itself.

He argued that many AI leaders have adopted an attitude that makes them believe they are 'John Galt saving the world,' a reference to the central character in Ayn Rand's novel, Atlas Shrugged.

He also warned that political influence will not solve the industry's growing image problem.

'No matter how much money you pay to buy politicians and races, you will lose,' Cuban wrote.

His point was straightforward. Public support cannot be purchased if communities believe they are carrying the costs of AI while others collect the rewards.

What Happens Next

Cuban is not arguing that AI development should stop. In fact, he remains optimistic that artificial intelligence will create new opportunities over time. His warning is about something else entirely.

If AI companies continue treating public trust as a public relations problem instead of a community problem, they may discover that their biggest barrier to growth is not computing power, but the everyday workers and local communities whose support they need to keep building.