Companies are pouring so much money into data centers that power artificial intelligence (AI) that any attempt to slow it could hurt the U.S. economy, not just the stock market.

Larry Fink, CEO of BlackRock, the world's largest asset manager, made that clear Wednesday in a CNBC interview, while also warning about the burgeoning national debt.

He said "a moratorium of some sort in this country" would put the U.S. in a recession, commonly defined as two straight quarters of shrinking economic output.

Fink was referring to a potential push to stop data center buildouts across the U.S. over concerns that they harm the environment. Data centers are the huge buildings packed with computers that power AI.

“So much of our economy is based on the buildout of this capex,” Fink said.

Public opinion on data centers is souring. A Pew Research Center survey found at least 49% of Americans say data centers are mostly bad for the environment, home energy costs and quality of life for those living near them.

Fink pushed back on that. He said most of the fears about data center buildouts are "misinformation," adding, "Data centers are not the problem."

He also pointed to data centers’ job creation, noting demand for construction workers, energy infrastructure and AI compute hardware.

S. 48 trillion through 2030. Globally, spending is expected to reach $7 trillion by the end of the decade.

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