Mark Cuban outlines a PR playbook for AI firms and data centers—and it isn’t hiring celebrities

Mark Cuban urged AI developers and data-center operators to rethink their outreach as local resistance mounts, arguing the backlash is less about facilities than about anger over AI and growing wealth concentration. In a post on X, the investor said companies should “put people first” by engaging directly with artists, writers, and unions, offering financial support and protections for their work—while avoiding celebrity endorsements and traditional entertainment gatekeepers. Cuban, a longtime AI booster, warned that entry-level white-collar roles face disruption and said firms should treat community assistance as a cost of doing business to secure the power and capacity they need. Simply touting AI’s benefits is no longer enough, he wrote; winning public support will hinge on tangible help for the workers and towns most affected.

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