The public opposition to artificial intelligence and data centers was front and center at the Goldman Sachs Communcacopia + Technology Conference.
CoreWeave CEO Mike Intrator told CNBC's David Faber that companies haven't explained the technology's benefits well enough to the public.
"I don't think we have done a particularly good job of talking about the benefits of what the data centers allow the AI companies to be able to deliver to people, to governments, to decision making," Intrator said in comments that aired Wednesday.
The annual conference brings together leaders across the biggest tech and media companies, and AI adoption — along with the pushback many local communities are showing towards its buildout — is perhaps one of the biggest opportunities, and risks, facing businesses of every kind.
Intrator insisted that the fear around the transformation isn't about data centers, specifically, but is about how fast things are changing.
"It is really about: Hey, you know the world is changing, and it's changing very quickly, and that's going to have impacts on myself. It's going to have impacts on my children, and what is that going to look like? And that is frightening," he added.
Visa CEO Ryan McInerney said he's noticed consumers' distrust in AI in agentic commerce, and that the new method is developing "a little more slowly than we thought."
"When you ask consumers, do they trust these agentic platforms to go out and make payments on their behalf, the short answer is they don't," McInerney said.
As Goldman's conference got underway, another set of comments in the tech world caught attention as an AI researcher quit his job at Anthropic Tuesday, warning the rapidly-evolving technology "could kill us all by the end of the decade."
Jacob Coxon, who worked at both Anthropic and its chief competitor OpenAI, accused the companies of "gambling with our lives" in the race towards AI superintelligence.
"Do not underestimate the power of this technology. These will soon be superhuman systems that can hack anything, revolutionize any field overnight, and acquire real power and resources. We have all witnessed the progress in each of these domains, and progress is not slowing," Coxon wrote in a post on X announcing his resignation.
CrowdStrike CEO George Kurtz, when asked about Coxon's comments, told Faber that AI "can be used for good or for bad."
"We see it as an opportunity, and given the power of the technology, it should be harnessed, and that's part of what we want to do: Harness it in a safe way," Kurtz said.
Cable companies talk broadband pressure
Other disruptions were on the agenda as well on Wednesday, as cable executives continued to forecast competitive pressure on the broadband business.Both Comcast and Charter Communications have seen quarterly broadband customer losses in recent years due to the rise of alternatives, namely fixed wireless, or 5G, providers.On Wednesday, Comcast CFO Jason Armstrong reiterated that those pressures still exist, particularly from fixed wireless."Satellite looms out there as a potential threat," Armstrong said Wednesday, in addition to competition from fixed wireless. He added that while competition from satellite providers like Starlink isn't necessarily happening yet, "there's no complacency around it.""I think we'll see it over time … in particular in rural and maybe deep suburban markets," Armstrong said of potential satellite competition.Comcast stock sank more thn 6% on Wednesday. Charter shares fell 8%.Comcast and Charter have reworked pricing strategies and leaned on their growing mobile businesses as methods to retain, and potentially gain, more broadband customers in recent years.
Armstrong added that, as mentioned during Comcast's second-quarter earnings call, the company is starting to see "irrational competition" when it comes to pricing for fiber broadband and that's continuing into the third quarter.For the period ended June 30, Comcast reported that it once again lost broadband customers, and revenue for the segment dropped due to lower pricing plans and promotions that began to take hold.During an interview with CNBC's David Faber on Wednesday, Charter CEO Chris Winfrey said that while competition is affecting the cable broadband business in the short term, the executive is confident that long-term, there will be improvements.
Disney moves toward free streaming option
Media companies have been facing heightened streaming competition from tech players – particularly Google's YouTube.
On Wednesday, Walt Disney CFO Hugh Johnston said that the company is continuing to invest in its streaming platform through content, but also with the likely addition of a free, ad-supported option.
"It's early days on this, but it's certainly something we're excited about, and I think it's going to be a terrific addition to the portfolio," Johnston said Wednesday.
He noted that a free, ad-supported option also gives Disney the ability to retain a consumer in some capacity if they decide to cancel their subscription. If cannibalization of customers were to occur – often a concern with adding a free tier to streaming platforms – Disney would have the option to "evolve over time," and pivot if needed.
Newly minted CEO Josh D'Amaro has previously said Disney is considering the option for its flagship platform, Disney+, which would serve as a so-called "front porch" to get viewers into the platform for free. Streaming subscription prices have risen in recent years and media companies are leaning more on advertising to not only provide cheaper options to customers, but help grow revenue and profits.
D'Amaro has also teased that streaming and shopping will be integrated on the Disney+ platform, with more details to come in the spring. On Wednesday, Johnston teased some of what that might look like in what he called an "integrated ecosystem" under the Disney+ banner.
In addition to TV and film content, he said consumer products, Disney's parks and cruises and interacting with the company's library of intellectual property in various ways, such as gaming, could work its way onto the platform.
"The goal is to increase the frequency of use of Disney+ because we know when people increase their frequency of use … retention is higher and we get better outcomes," Johnston said Wednesday.
