Scott Bessent Gives AI Industry a D-Minus for Public Outreach

Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent gave the artificial intelligence industry a D-minus for public outreach in Charlotte, linking its communication failures to local concerns over data centers and household costs.

“The industry has done a terrible job, terrible job, of explaining themselves,” Bessent said. He said companies and government share responsibility for explaining AI’s practical uses and potential benefits for national security and quality of life.

Bessent tied opposition to data centers to concerns about their effects on the cost of living. He criticized companies and developers for not making the public benefits clear.

The Charlotte Economics Club hosted Bessent on Sept. 2, 2026, after a meeting of G20 finance ministers and central bank governors in Asheville. The event agenda included AI’s role in productivity and economic growth, along with Treasury markets, U.S.-China trade and digital assets.