Tucker Carlson questioned Kevin O'Leary about public support for his planned data center in Utah.
O'Leary explained during the talk that the facility would generate employment and support local growth.
O'Leary framed the push for AI as a global contest, highlighting the need to keep pace with China's advances.

Kevin O'Leary and Tucker Carlson debated AI development, public funding for O'Leary's upcoming Utah data center, and competition with China in an interview released on Wednesday.

The Shark Tank investor described the Utah site as essential for securing America's position in AI, while Carlson raised doubts about using taxpayer resources to build infrastructure that might mainly serve large firms such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Google.

Carlson pressed O'Leary on why public money should back a private venture whose future occupants include some of the wealthiest corporations globally.

O'Leary responded that taxpayers are not required to contribute, yet regions that skip such support will lose out on projects since it comes down to competition among states.

When Carlson focused on the tax incentives, O'Leary noted that such measures are routine for large-scale developments, though Carlson maintained they still place added burdens on regular citizens.

Carlson asked why a profitable venture would seek taxpayer assistance without offering ownership stakes in return.

The exchange follows growing criticism of O'Leary's proposed 40,000-acre Stratos data center in Utah, with detractors warning it could pressure local water and electricity supplies while delivering limited lasting employment.

County officials approved the plan unanimously, and projections show it may require as much as 9 gigawatts of power, exceeding twice the state's present electricity demand.

O'Leary has labeled many opponents as professional protesters and emphasized the project's potential to boost the economy through new jobs and added tax income, likening it to other industrial efforts that seek state support.

The pair also differed on AI's impact on employment, with O'Leary pointing out that past innovations have spawned unforeseen sectors, while Carlson noted that O'Leary's examples of medical imaging and image sorting illustrated machines taking over tasks once done by people.

O'Leary stressed that the contest with China forms the core of the AI effort beyond labor concerns.

He asked whether developers should halt progress while China moves ahead, arguing that the United States and partners must increase power capacity and data facilities to avoid losing ground to Beijing in technology and defense.

Carlson stayed doubtful about public incentives for costly AI initiatives, viewing them as a shift of resources from average residents to major corporations.

O'Leary replied, Welcome to America, buddy. This is how it has worked for 200 years.

O'Leary holds Canadian citizenship.