Jensen Huang, Nvidia chief executive officer (CEO), said he trusts the U.S. government amid controversy over the defense use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology. As a conflict between AI company Anthropic and the Ministry of National Defense has emerged as a key issue in the tech industry, Huang suggested that corporations should not block the lawful use of technology for national security purposes.
On the 4th (local time), Huang said at a talk during the Milken Global Conference 2026 at the Beverly Hilton in Los Angeles, California, "I completely believe that the government will use technology in the right way."
Previously, Anthropic had provided its AI model "Claude" to the military's classified systems, but it said its model could not be used for mass surveillance of Americans or for fully autonomous weapons operations, bringing it into conflict with the Ministry of National Defense.
In response, the Ministry of National Defense designated Anthropic as a corporations posing a "supply chain risk to national security." Observers said it is unusual for such a measure to be imposed on a U.S. company. Minister of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump also publicly criticized Anthropic strongly, further escalating the controversy.
Huang called Anthropic, which is at the center of the controversy, "an amazing company with a great culture and a deep belief system," but added, "That doesn't mean I agree with all of their positions."
He added, "My belief is that the U.S. government has decided to use technology to protect the country and families, and if that is lawful and for national security, I would prefer they not ask me whether they can use that technology in wartime."
He also emphasized that the role of a corporations CEO and the role of the government should be distinguished. Huang said, "A CEO is not an elected official," adding, "If you disagree with a government decision, you can vote or speak out as a citizen, but we will not stand in the way of the country trying to protect our families."
Meanwhile, Nvidia recently joined an agreement related to classified work with the Ministry of National Defense alongside SpaceX, OpenAI, Google, Reflection, Microsoft, and Amazon Web Services. Corporations participating in the agreement were said to have agreed to allow the Ministry of National Defense to use their technology for "all lawful purposes."