Jensen Huang’s European Tour Highlights Nvidia’s AI Ambitions
Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, toured Europe, emphasizing Nvidia’s role in building AI infrastructure. His discussions with leaders like Macron and Starmer highlighted the need for European collaboration in AI. Promoting ‘sovereign AI’, Huang also addressed competition from Chinese firms and expressed a strong belief in the future of robotics and quantum computing.
Nvidia’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, has been making waves through Europe this week. It seems wherever he goes, excitement follows. His mission has been straightforward—communicating that Nvidia is key to advancing Europe’s artificial intelligence (AI) framework, essentially encouraging the continent to harness this transformational technology for its benefit.
In London and Paris, I joined Huang as he engaged in discussions with various dignitaries, including U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer and French President Emmanuel Macron. He also met journalists and fans and presented a keynote at Nvidia’s GTC event in Paris, making the week quite packed with notable interactions.
The allure of Huang is palpable. At London Tech Week, attendees were eager, with long queues forming just to hear him speak. The robust turnout at the GTC event in Paris mirrored that of a rock concert—T-shirts adorned the chairs, and a vibrant merchandise store was bustling with activity. Post-event, many lined up for selfies with him, indicating the star power he holds in the tech community.
Nvidia has cast itself as more than a mere chip manufacturer. Huang has confidently asserted that AI should be seen as foundational infrastructure, comparable to electricity. He proposed to European nations that Nvidia could be instrumental in constructing this infrastructure. “We believe that in order to compete, in order to build a meaningful ecosystem, Europe needs to come together and build capacity that is joint,” he proclaimed at the Viva Tech conference in Paris. Notably, he announced a partnership with the French startup Mistral to develop an AI cloud.
Huang championed the concept of “sovereign AI,” aiming for nations to establish data centers within their own borders, reducing reliance on foreign servers. This resonated well with European policymakers seeking autonomy in their tech capabilities. He praised the potential of the U.K., France, and Europe in general to make strides in the AI field.
On another note, during a booth tour, Huang shared insights with CNBC about the state of Chinese AI chip progress. Due to U.S. export restrictions, Nvidia hasn’t sold its latest chips to China, leading to significant unsold inventory losses—$4.5 billion in the previous quarter. In discussing Huawei, the Chinese tech behemoth striving to compete, Huang claimed they lag behind Nvidia but could still achieve outcomes by utilising more chips available.
“If the United States doesn’t want to partake, participate in China, Huawei has got China covered, and Huawei has got everybody else covered,” he commented. Huang further underscored concerns over U.S. companies missing out on access to the Chinese market, hinting at the potential for countries to turn to Chinese tech as it progresses.
As for the future, Huang expressed optimism about robotics and autonomous vehicles during our chat. This decade, he believes, is set to see significant advancements in these areas. He also touched upon quantum computing during his GTC speech, indicating that we’re on the brink of crucial developments in that realm, with potential to solve intricate problems that traditional computers cannot tackle, such as pharmaceuticals and new material discoveries.
In summary, Jensen Huang’s tour of Europe this week has captured attention for both Nvidia’s offerings and broader discussions about AI infrastructure. His messages about sovereign AI and the importance of European collaboration were significant themes. But also noteworthy is how he addressed challenges with Chinese competition in the tech sphere and expressed excitement about future technologies, particularly in robotics and quantum computing. Overall, Nvidia seems set to play a pivotal role as Europe seeks to establish its AI foundations.
Original Source: www.cnbc.com
