Nvidia boss presses G20 ministers to build AI infrastructure

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang urged G20 ministers to construct more data centers to support the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution during a meeting in North Carolina on Wednesday. Huang cautioned that leaders who highlight AI's dangers risk leaving their countries behind. He emphasized that AI is akin to essential infrastructure such as water, roads, electricity, and the internet, and every nation must build the necessary infrastructure to support their local economy.

Huang's company, Nvidia, is at the forefront of the generative AI boom, supplying graphics processing units (GPUs) to data centers worldwide, which are crucial for training AI models. The company's growth has made Nvidia the world's most valuable publicly traded company.

Huang addressed concerns that AI may lead to job losses, dismissing the notion as "nonsense." Instead, he argued that work will be redefined rather than eliminated by AI. While certain tasks will be automated, the purpose of human jobs will remain. Huang warned that countries that do not take advantage of AI risk falling behind.

He also cautioned against excessive regulation of the technology, echoing similar remarks made by Elon Musk the previous day. Huang urged governments to focus on addressing actual and practical harm related to AI rather than hypothetical theoretical risks.

The meeting, which was moderated by US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, came amid a growing backlash against AI data center construction in the United States. This issue has gained political significance as the country approaches the midterm elections in November. President Donald Trump expressed support for AI data centers on Monday, arguing that opponents of the technology would lead to a "backwards and poor" America.