Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Donald Trump Reject Calls to Slow AI Development During Onstage Call
During an onstage appearance at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang received a phone call from President Donald Trump, using the opportunity to publicly align against proposals to slow down the development of artificial intelligence.
Huang was speaking with the hosts of the All-In podcast—venture capitalists Chamath Palihapitiya and Jason Calacanis, alongside White House advisers David Friedberg and David Sacks—when the call arrived. Rather than sending the call to voicemail, Huang projected the conversation to the audience by requesting an extra microphone from stagehands to amplify his phone's speaker.
Debate Over the Pace of AI Development
Prior to the call, Huang and the summit hosts had been discussing a proposal by Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei to slow the pace of AI capability improvements. While tech leaders such as SpaceX CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman have publicly expressed agreement with Amodei's cautious approach, Huang's stance differs significantly.
During the phone call, Trump addressed the debate surrounding the pace of AI development, criticizing efforts to restrict the industry's growth.
"They’re just playing right in the hands of a lot of people that don’t want to see it happen," Trump said on the call, referring to those advocating for a slowdown. "That could be political people. It could also be China. And we’re not going to let that happen. It’s a hoax."
Huang responded in agreement with Trump, stating, "You’re right. We’re not going to let that happen, sir."
Data Center Expansion and Public Sentiment
The conversation also touched upon the infrastructure supporting artificial intelligence. Trump and allies such as Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan have characterized local opposition to data center construction as an international effort designed to hinder American economic progress.
However, public opinion data indicates domestic concerns regarding these facilities. A recent Gallup poll shows that seven in 10 Americans oppose the construction of data centers in their local areas. Among those surveyed, more than 50% cited the impact of data centers on environmental resources, while approximately 20% expressed concern over rising costs of living and potential declines in quality of life.
Trump acknowledged the need for some caution but maintained that development must continue to ensure American leadership in the sector.
"We have to be a little bit careful," Trump told Huang. "We have to do things and we have to do them prudently, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to stop an industry. So I’m with you all the way. I didn’t even know how you felt about it. I just hoped you felt the same way as me. We’re going to lead."
