Jensen Huang, Nvidia chief executive officer (CEO), sharply criticized the "artificial intelligence (AI) doomsday theory" spreading across the tech industry, noting that excessive pessimism is instead harming the industry and society at large.
According to foreign media on the 11th, Huang appeared on a recent podcast and said, "Debate around AI last year was a narrative war between doomsayers and optimists," adding, "Ninety percent of the overall message was doomsday and pessimism, and that actually caused serious damage to society."
Huang criticized some prominent figures for pushing narratives like "the end of the world" or "dystopia" about the future AI will bring. He said, "Science fiction-like stories don't help people, the industry, or the government," and stressed, "They are even shrinking investment to make AI safer, more productive, and beneficial to society."
In particular, he argued that the push within the tech industry to demand strong government regulation should raise concerns about "regulatory capture." Huang said, "No company should ask the government for more regulation," adding, "The intentions of those calling for strong regulation do not fully align with the interests of society as a whole."
Regarding those calling for regulation, he said, "They are clearly CEOs and corporations," pointing out, "In the end, they are merely representing their own interests." However, he did not mention specific names.
On this point, foreign media reported that Huang had previously publicly disagreed with some tech corporations' CEOs who predicted that AI would replace half of entry-level white-collar jobs. Sam Altman, OpenAI CEO, and Elon Musk are also cited as figures who have argued for strong AI regulation.
Huang noted, "An overall negative discourse is distorting constructive discussion about AI's future." He emphasized, "In a situation dominated by pessimism, we could miss the chance to advance technology in ways that benefit society as a whole," adding, "A more balanced view is needed."