President Donald Trump directly contacted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang while the tech executive was presenting on stage at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on Monday, using the opportunity to vigorously defend artificial intelligence infrastructure against growing criticism.
According to social media posts from event attendees, Trump placed the call and Huang responded by placing the president on speakerphone. The conversation centered on the backlash surrounding the rapid construction of data centers and the broader debate over AI development speeds.
“I’m telling you, it’s all a hoax,” Trump said, asserting that data centers generate significant wealth for both individuals and states. He described the facilities as the “oil of the next 20, 25 years” and praised Nvidia’s role in filling them with graphics processing units.
The incident follows a recent exchange on Trump’s Truth Social platform, where he criticized Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei for advocating a slowdown in AI model development. Amodei’s essay, which has garnered support from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and SpaceX founder Elon Musk, called for a deliberate deceleration in the pace of technological advancement.
Trump characterized opponents of data center expansion and AI concerns as “Revolutionaries for a Bad and Evil Cause,” arguing that calls to slow construction are driven by foreign competitors, particularly China, who wish to hinder American leadership. He stated there is no need for additional AI regulation and labeled recent concerns as a “scam.”
During the call, Trump told Huang, “I’m with you all the way,” and warned that opposition to data centers plays into the hands of those wanting to stop progress. Huang agreed, responding, “We’re not going to let that happen, sir.” The president also joked that despite Huang’s ability to create complex chips, he could not figure out how to place him on speakerphone.
This interaction further underscores the close relationship between Trump and Huang, who have appeared together多次 during the president’s second term. An Nvidia representative did not immediately return a request for comment regarding the call.
Huang keeping Trump on speakerphone was a classy move. Glad the President is finally listening to someone who understands the hardware.
Great for Nvidia stock, maybe. But what about the environmental impact? This deregulation stance worries me.
I live near a proposed facility. The noise and water usage are real concerns, so ‘hoax’ feels like a bit of a stretch here.
Trump calling data centers the new oil is quite a metaphor. I wonder if the grid can actually handle that much power demand.