Former Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang argued that Washington and Beijing need to keep talking about AI safety, as U.S. lawmakers examine Nvidia's China-related chip shipments.
The interview was recorded in October, while Huang was still CEO; he stepped down about a month later. He called China a rival rather than an enemy and said its AI-research workforce was unmatched.
He left unspecified what might change his position on chip sales to China. Huang said he respected China's efforts to improve prosperity for its population.
Huang put Nvidia's investment in the AI ecosystem at nearly $100 billion over the five years preceding the interview. Other institutional investors supplied at least five times that amount, he said. Nvidia's ownership stakes in individual companies stayed below 20%, and the chipmaker sometimes entered financing rounds early without taking the lead.
He also argued that leading AI firms can choose whether to use Nvidia hardware and software, leaving the company to compete for their business on performance. Huang said competitors operate across industries and countries.
Huang said $10 million would not be enough for most AI startups to launch, and that $10 billion funding needs were not rare.
On succession, Huang said neither of his children, Spencer Huang and Madison Huang, would get the top job automatically, though both work at Nvidia. He said he favors an internal successor and that each would have to earn the role.
Anadolu Agency reported that Senate Banking Committee Chairman Tim Scott invited Huang to testify in December as lawmakers scrutinize Nvidia's China-related shipments. Scott described the invitation as voluntary and said the panel could subpoena Huang if he declined. EconoTimes previously covered the invitation for Huang to testify in December.
