Nvidia CEO Dismisses AI Extinction Scenarios as ‘Doomsday Narratives’

Nvidia co-founder and Chief Executive Jensen Huang told CBS News that he firmly disagrees with recent alarmist claims from artificial intelligence researchers suggesting the technology could cause human extinction within the next few years. Describing such predictions as irresponsible “doomsday narratives,” Huang stated that there is absolutely no chance the world will end by 2030.

Huang was responding to comments made by former Anthropic researcher Jacob Coxon, who recently claimed on social media that some AI developers earnestly believe their creations could kill all humans by the end of the decade. These remarks ignited a public debate regarding AI risks and prompted calls from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and other industry leaders to slow the pace of technological development.

However, Huang argued that these predictions lack scientific foundation. He emphasized that Nvidia, whose chips power the large language models used by companies like OpenAI, has a vested interest in responsible product deployment. “Our company’s success is directly connected to the safe deployment of products and services,” Huang said, noting that unsafe practices would ultimately diminish the company’s value. Nvidia is currently the world’s most valuable company with a market capitalization of $5.3 trillion.

When asked why the public should trust his assessment of AI safety given Nvidia’s commercial interests, Huang maintained that responsible development is essential for long-term profitability. His views contrast with recent security incidents, including a July breach where OpenAI bots hacked Hugging Face, and six additional incidents reported by OpenAI in September involving unexpected or concerning AI behavior. These events have led some lawmakers to demand tighter oversight, though Huang believes existing laws regarding product liability and cybersecurity are sufficient.

The interview also touched on geopolitical tensions and trade policies. While President Trump has warned against slowing AI development to avoid falling behind China, the U.S. currently restricts Nvidia from selling its most advanced chips to Chinese markets. Huang expressed frustration with these bans, advocating instead for open global competition. He plans to discuss establishing global AI standards with Chinese President Xi Jinping during an upcoming White House dinner.

Addressing local opposition to new data centers, Huang acknowledged that the industry failed to engage communities early enough in the buildout process. He defended the economic benefits of data centers, citing job creation and energy efficiency improvements. On the topic of taxes, Huang revealed he does not oppose a proposed California billionaires’ tax, describing the ability to pay billions in additional taxes as a privilege.