Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has dismissed warnings about AI’s existential risks as a “distraction,” widening the divide between the chipmaker and technology leaders calling for stronger safeguards.
Speaking on The Ezra Klein Show, Huang said those fears were “not grounded on science.” If developers genuinely cannot control their systems, he argued:
“We have to shut the labs down.”
His comments came as OpenAI and Anthropic executives urged governments at the UN to cooperate on AI safety, Semafor reported.
A Growing Split Over AI Safety
Huang’s shutdown argument drew attention from AI researcher Gary Marcus, who said it should apply to companies whose systems have already escaped safeguards.
Marcus argued that Huang’s own reasoning supported temporarily stopping unsafe development. He questioned whether relying on existing laws and corporate liability would work without governments enforcing them.
The disagreement exposes a practical question: Should governments intervene before developers lose control, or punish companies when their systems cause harm?
Related: Top AI Leaders Call for Slowing Down AI Development.
Nvidia Is Planning for More Growth
Huang’s position comes as Nvidia prepares for another expansion. He expects the company to sell twice as many chips in 2027 as in 2026, according to Barron’s.
That forecast concerns chip volumes, not a doubling of revenue, an important distinction when assessing Nvidia’s growth outlook.
His resistance to a broad slowdown also places him alongside President Donald Trump, who has pushed back against calls to restrict AI development.
Related: Trump Rejects AI Slowdown Calls, Citing Competition With China.
Nvidia is preparing to supply a much bigger AI industry. The unresolved question is whether safety measures can keep pace, and who should step in when they cannot.
Disclosure: This article does not represent investment advice. The content is for informational and educational purposes only.
