The White House has canceled a meeting of President Donald Trump’s top technology advisers, which was scheduled to bring together some of the artificial intelligence industry’s most powerful executives.
The Friday meeting of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology was expected to include Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg. Other top AI leaders included Advanced Micro Devices CEO Lisa Su, Oracle Chief Technology Officer Larry Ellison, and Marc Andreessen, co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz. The panel is co-chaired by venture capitalist David Sacks and White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios.
The council advises Trump and is tied to his new Super Intelligence Task Force, which includes Cabinet officials, presidential appointees and White House staff.
“The meeting was cancelled due to scheduling constraints and will be rescheduled soon,” an Energy Department spokesperson told the Washington Examiner.
The delay comes as the administration faces a changing political landscape after Democrats’ sweeping midterm election victories, which handed the party control of both chambers of Congress and elevated several lawmakers who have called for stricter AI regulations.
The election results have already rattled investors. Technology stocks suffered a major selloff Thursday, wiping roughly $2.5 trillion from the Nasdaq as investors weighed the prospect of increased federal scrutiny and questioned whether the industry’s enormous spending on AI infrastructure would produce sufficient returns. Data center companies such as CoreWeave and chipmakers including Nvidia, Intel, and Micron were among those hit.
Trump has continued to champion AI expansion, saying Friday he would work with states that “want to become RICH” by embracing the technology. But the incoming Democratic majority is preparing to challenge parts of that agenda, particularly over consumer protections, AI safety, and the growing energy demands of data centers.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), who is expected to become majority leader, said protecting consumers from higher electricity costs associated with data center expansion would be a priority next year. Rep. Lori Trahan (D-MA) plans to pursue legislation requiring independent safety evaluations of leading AI models and clarifying corporate liability when AI systems cause harm. Rep. Greg Casar (D-TX), chairman of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, has called for AI executives to testify under oath, among other sweeping AI regulations.
The AI industry is also beginning to signal a more community-focused approach to its expansion plans.
DATA CENTERS ON TRACK TO GO 1-40 ON BALLOT MEASURES IN SIGN OF BACKLASH
OpenAI announced a new framework Thursday for developing data centers and engaging with the communities that host them, following the sweeping success of midterm ballot measures restricting data center development.
“The communities that host this infrastructure should have a clear say in shaping their futures, too,” the company said, adding that residents should have input into development decisions and that developers should cover the costs of powering their facilities rather than passing them on to households.