Jensen Huang, chief executive of Nvidia, has argued that society must develop new norms to fully benefit from artificial intelligence, while acknowledging growing public unease over job losses and existential risks posed by the technology.
In an interview with The Associated Press on Tuesday, Huang urged people to actively engage with AI rather than shy away from it. “We need to create new social norms,” he said. “I would advocate that everybody use AI. Just go engage it.” He drew a historical parallel: automobiles were once seen as dangerous to children, but society adapted by building sidewalks, crosswalks, and keeping kids off streets.
Huang, whose company has become the world’s most valuable firm with a market capitalization of roughly $5 trillion, has long been an optimist about AI’s potential to accelerate economic growth and scientific discovery. Yet he now finds himself responding to critics who warn of widespread displacement of workers and even threats to humanity. Political resistance has also surfaced, with objections to data-center construction and fears that rapid adoption could lead to layoffs without adequate safety nets. These tensions come amid an AI race with China, which Huang believes the U.S. can win only if it remains open to global competition.
On government regulation and national security, Huang struck a nuanced tone. He acknowledged the need for some oversight and safety standards, but emphasized that national security must be a top priority. He expressed skepticism about the idea—floated by President Donald Trump, Senator Bernie Sanders, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman—that the U.S. government might take ownership stakes in AI companies to share windfalls with the public. “I’m not exactly sure what they’re trying to achieve,” Huang said. He argued that Americans already benefit through stock ownership, tax revenues, and job creation, and that AI firms also boost profits for energy, construction, and hardware sectors.
Huang also addressed export controls imposed by the Trump administration, which recently reversed its light-touch approach to AI regulation. The administration placed curbs on Anthropic’s latest models and ordered voluntary government screening for new AI systems before release. Huang said national security should always be the top concern for any technology, but stressed that policies must be “very specific about the risk you’re concerned about” before setting export-control rules. During the Biden era, Nvidia had pushed back against similar restrictions, warning they could hamper America’s ability to lead the global AI ecosystem.
A major bottleneck, in Huang’s view, is energy. He described the United States as “woefully behind in energy production,” noting that AI data centers demand enormous electricity, straining the power grid. Some facilities will generate their own power, but without more energy, the country’s advantages in infrastructure, models, and chip design may be undermined. Huang praised Trump’s focus on boosting energy output, though he did not comment on the president’s dismissal of solar and wind power. He was speaking at an expansion of Coherent’s factory in Sherman, Texas, which develops laser technology that could cut AI systems’ power consumption by up to half.
Huang also revealed personal details about his relationship with President Trump. Their friendship began last year when Trump invited him to dinner at Mar-a-Lago while Huang was in Florida to receive an award. “He was incredibly engaging, incredibly charismatic,” Huang recalled. He added that Trump “calls me in the middle of the night” to discuss job creation, reindustrialization, national security, and winning. Huang said he wants Trump—and all U.S. officials, regardless of party—to succeed, stating, “Because when President Trump succeeds, our country succeeds.” That closeness has drawn criticism from Democratic lawmakers, including Senator Elizabeth Warren, who objected that Huang had time for a Mar-a-Lago dinner but not to testify before a Senate committee.
Huang described his own life as “boring,” revolving around work and family. He shared that his favorite film is Kingdom of Heaven (2005) and that he has watched Project Hail Mary three or four times, possibly again this weekend. He emphasized that AI is already closing the technological divide by enabling people to design websites, analyze complex documents, guide advanced research, or plan home renovations without knowing how to code.