Arabic version: مديرو التكنولوجيا يدافعون عن الاستثمار في مراكز البيانات بعد موجة البيع

According to Cnbc, a Democratic sweep of Congress and many governorships in Tuesday’s midterm elections sparked investor concerns that data-center regulation could slow the build-out supporting artificial intelligence. Stocks rallied Wednesday before a sharp Thursday sell-off, when major indexes recorded their worst day since April 2025. They recovered part of the losses Friday.

Technology stocks led Thursday’s decline, with the “Magnificent Seven” losing more than $1 trillion in aggregate market capitalization. Investors focused on candidates favoring data-center regulation in states including Texas and on fears that the AI trade may have passed its peak. Executives from Arm, OpenAI, Qualcomm, Box and Lyft said their companies retained reasons for confidence.

Arm CEO Rene Haas called the postelection concern “very, very short term thinking” and said the United States must continue investing in data centers. He said global demand for capacity remains large and warned that other parts of the world are ready to expand if the U.S. hesitates. OpenAI CFO Sarah Friar said the company would keep investing in infrastructure to meet customer demand while addressing community concerns, including electricity costs and trust.

Qualcomm CEO Cristiano Amon said data-center infrastructure is only one part of the chipmaker’s business, which has historically focused on low-power computing. Qualcomm fell 9.49% in Thursday’s sell-off before recovering some losses Friday. Box CEO Aaron Levie said AI adoption was continuing to accelerate, while also saying the industry needs to address risk-focused messaging and help consumers see direct benefits. Lyft CEO David Risher said strong consumer sentiment and bookings left him less concerned about short-term market moves.