Nvidia CEO takes call from Trump on stage as US President downplays AI risks: ‘Playing right into the hands of…’

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang fielded a call from President Donald Trump during a panel discussion on Monday, as the US leader dismissed concerns about artificial intelligence (AI) dangers. Trump described the push to slow AI development as a "hoax" and politically motivated, possibly orchestrated by China. Huang agreed with Trump's assessment, stating that the issue was complex and that Trump had grasped the nuances.

The controversy arose after a former Anthropic researcher, Jacob Coxon, resigned, claiming AI posed a threat to humanity within a decade. Multiple AI scientists have since left their positions, and heads of major AI firms, including Dario Amodei from Anthropic, Sam Altman from OpenAI, and Elon Musk from xAI, have publicly supported a slowdown in AI development.

Anthropic's Dario Amodei proposed a 3,800-word essay advocating for a slowdown, which was endorsed by Altman and Musk. Despite the dissent among AI experts, Huang and Trump did not appear to support the notion of slowing AI progress. Huang praised Coxon for his courage in speaking out, emphasizing the importance of whistleblowers within organizations.

Huang also argued that the panic surrounding AI has created a false dichotomy between rapid innovation and ensuring AI safety. As the world's most valuable company, Nvidia benefited significantly from the surge in AI infrastructure development. President Trump, a strong proponent of data center construction, criticized states for withholding permits to build new data centers, which he called the "oil of the next 20, 25 years" and bigger than the internet.

US tech stocks declined on Monday due to fears of reduced spending, with Nvidia shares dropping 3.4 percent.