Kevin O'Leary Warns US Must 'Keep Bringing Over Genius From Anywhere' Or 'The Chinese Will' Win AI Race

Investor and “Shark Tank” star Kevin O'Leary argued that Europe's strict regulations drove innovators to the U.S., while the United Arab Emirates demonstrates how pro-business policies can rapidly advance technology and AI. Europe Lost Innovators To US, UAE Thrives In AI On Tuesday, O'Leary shared a clip from his Fox News interview on X, highlighting his views on global innovation. "Europe should look at what the UAE have created. They’re number three in AI now and they have nothing to do with Europe in terms of regulation," O'Leary wrote. In the interview, he said, "After the Second World War, they [Europe] screwed themselves. They put a regulatory environment in so onerous that everybody just brought their dough to the United States and developed their companies here. And stole the people that were innovators." He added, "I rest my case on this one. We took the guys that were bombing us, the V2 rocket scientists, and made them Americans and stuck them here, and they built NASA." He emphasized the importance of attracting global talent, adding, "We should keep bringing over any genius from anywhere and train them here otherwise the Chinese will." O'Leary also praised the UAE's business-friendly policies, saying, "They innovate, they’re number three in AI now. And they have nothing to do with Europe in terms of regulations." Europe should look at what the UAE have created. They're number three in AI now and they have nothing to do with Europe in terms of regulation. So the answer to Europe is, after the Second World War, they screwed themselves. They put a regulatory environment in so onerous that… pic.twitter.com/kxlyGbJdP6— Kevin O'Leary aka Mr. Wonderful (@kevinolearytv) February 18, 2026 O'Leary Warns US AI Leadership At Risk Earlier, O'Leary warned that the U.S. risked losing its edge in AI due to energy shortages and restrictive chip policies. He said the U.S. power grid had not kept pace with soaring AI demand, arguing that without major infrastructure upgrades, the country would struggle to support energy-intensive data centers, especially compared to China's rapid power expansion. O'Leary also said the U.S. should sell AI chips globally, including to rivals, contending that export restrictions would push competitors to build independent systems. He maintained that broad chip sales would strengthen American dominance and help attract top global talent. Ultimately, he argued that reliable, affordable energy, not funding alone, would determine who wins the AI race. Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors. Photo courtesy: Kathy Hutchins / Shutterstock.com