NEW YORK — Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang dismissed warnings that artificial intelligence could bring about the end of humanity, saying AI is not a living thing but software with no self-awareness. On China's AI development, he said growth there would be constrained without computing capacity, and stressed cooperation with U.S. AI companies including Nvidia.
Huang received the Van Fleet Award at the annual gala of the Korea Society, a nonprofit dedicated to Korea-U.S. friendship, in Manhattan on the 28th. In a discussion that followed, he said, "AI is not a living creature. It is just software that performs the task it is given." He added that AI "has less self-awareness than a pet rock, so it does not spiral out of control on its own."
"If you tell AI to score 100 on a test, it will copy the answers because that is the efficient algorithmic action," he said. "What is needed is alignment — specifying the how, telling it not to simply copy the answers but to work from first principles step by step to reach the correct answer."
"There is no need to compare AI's search for answers to human traits, dress it up as magic or mysticism and frighten people," he said. "You grant it only the minimum permissions and access its capabilities and role require, and you keep monitoring it." On the question of AI safety regulation, which was also discussed at the U.N. General Assembly and at a U.N. Security Council meeting, he said, "Companies understand the technology better than governments do, so it is preferable for the industry to put forward global standards first."
Huang also commented on a report the previous day that the Chinese government was reviewing approval for imports of Nvidia's RTX Pro 5500 AI chip for use in data center servers. "China needs to realize that compute is revenue," he said. "Without computing capacity, the growth of China's digital economy will be held back." He added, "President Donald Trump would also want U.S. companies to compete with China so they can deliver results that match their growth." Huang, who attended the state dinner held on the occasion of the U.S.-China summit on the 24th of this month after a similar visit in May, said he "congratulated Chinese President Xi Jinping on China's AI achievements."
Receiving the Van Fleet Award for his contributions to Korea-U.S. relations, Huang pledged to further strengthen cooperation with Korean companies.
"We need more memory chips, and Korea has abundant manufacturing capability that will be transformed through AI, robotics and physical AI," Huang said. "If I have to depend on someone to manufacture a core component essential to Nvidia's growth, there is no company I would trust more surely than SK or Samsung." He added, "We are already working with many companies including Samsung, SK, LG and Hyundai across a range of areas such as Korea's sovereign AI, power generation and autonomous vehicles. I have worked with Korea for the past 33 years, and I will work with Korea for another 33 years."
Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) Chairman Jay Y. Lee and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won attended the ceremony in person, showcasing their AI chip alliance. Samsung Electronics went as far as running a video congratulating Huang on the award on a large screen in Times Square in New York on the 27th and 28th, a display of close ties. "Huang and I are alike in that we bet everything on AI, that our daughters are both named Madison, and that we love innovation," Lee said. "As a fan, a partner and a longtime friend, I congratulate him." Chey referred to the Korea-U.S. alliance of more than 70 years, saying, "The battlefield has become the data center, and the uniform has become a black leather jacket." He added, "I hope our partnership expands far faster than demand for graphics processing units."
The Van Fleet Award was established in 1995 to honor General James Van Fleet, who fought in the Korean War as commander of the Eighth U.S. Army and founded the Korea Society in 1957. Past recipients include former U.S. President George H.W. Bush, former President Kim Dae-jung, late Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, Hyundai Motor Group Honorary Chairman Chung Mong-koo and the K-pop group BTS. From SK Group, late Chairman Choi Jong-hyun and his son Chey Tae-won became the first father and son to receive the award, in 1998 and 2017 respectively.
