President Donald Trump said artificial intelligence could become more important than the internet and the most transformative industry in human history, while calling for regulation that allows the sector to keep developing. Speaking at a White House meeting with cryptocurrency executives and financial regulators, Trump said China remains the United States' closest AI competitor and that the issue is expected to arise when Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the United States on September 24. He defended the rapid construction of data centers and dedicated power plants, arguing that the existing grid is old, fragile and overburdened. In March, Amazon, Google, Meta, Microsoft, OpenAI, Oracle and xAI, now renamed SpaceXAI, signed the White House Taxpayer Protection Pledge to pay for power generation and infrastructure required by their data centers. Trump urged governors and mayors to welcome such projects for their jobs, investment and tax revenue, but acknowledged the industry may need public-relations help as opposition grows over electricity costs, water use and environmental effects. A March Gallup survey found roughly 70% of Americans opposed data center construction in their own communities. At least 37 people have been arrested at protests this year, while lawmakers in 15 states have considered development moratoriums. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro on Tuesday signed an executive order imposing new requirements on large data centers, saying some speculators were bullying local officials. Banks and asset managers are also increasingly considering community opposition when financing projects. At least 75 data center projects faced local resistance in the first quarter of 2026, involving roughly $130 billion in investment. Trump nevertheless warned that communities and states declining to build data centers would be left behind.