In an interview with CNBC on the sidelines of the VivaTech conference in Paris, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang predicted a major shift in global industry, stating: “This is going to be the decade of AV, robotics, autonomous machines.”
The comment, shared with Robotics & Automation News by CNBC, reflects Huang’s growing conviction that artificial intelligence is no longer confined to the virtual world.
After transforming data centers, cloud computing, and creative tools, AI is now poised to reshape physical infrastructure – from automated warehouses and industrial robotics to self-driving vehicles and autonomous delivery systems.
Huang’s forecast comes as Nvidia extends its influence beyond graphics processing and into full-stack AI platforms for edge computing, robotics simulation, and autonomous navigation.
With chips like the Jetson series and partnerships across logistics, manufacturing, and mobility sectors, Nvidia is positioning itself as a foundational player in the automation economy.
In the interview, Huang also highlighted Europe’s potential in the AI race, citing the continent’s depth in science and technology, its strong industrial base, and abundant clean energy. “Instead of exporting energy,” he said, “you can export AI.”
He also addressed the increasingly complex geopolitics around AI chips, warning that US restrictions on exports to China could have long-term strategic consequences. “Giving up 50 percent of the world’s AI researchers,” he said, “is not sensible.”
The full CNBC interview (below) touches on Nvidia’s positioning in the global market, the future of robotics and AVs, and the broader implications of an AI-powered industrial shift.
For those building the next generation of autonomous machines, Huang’s words underscore just how central this decade could become.
CNBC interview transcript
Arjun Kharpal: You’ve been in Europe a few days. Does Europe have the pieces of the puzzles required to compete on the global stage with the US and China and AI?
Jensen Huang: You need intellectual capital. Europe is deep and broad in science and technology. You need consumption. What we call offtake.
The EU has obviously lots of companies, lots of startups. We’re working with startups, all AI startups all over Europe and all the different every single industry, from healthcare to financial services to manufacturing and robotics, autonomous vehicles. So you need offtake.
The only thing that you need after that is land power and shell and you got plenty of that. You know, here in France, it’s the home of nuclear energy and carbon free nuclear energy.
And so there’s plenty of and President Macron was telling me yesterday that that France actually exports energy. Instead of exporting energy, you can export AI. And so I think all the pieces of the puzzle are here. You got to take advantage of it.
AK: And for your business as well, Jensen, as you assess the addressable market here in Europe, we know there’s been some lost revenue in China, but how big an opportunity as from a business perspective, does Europe present for Nvidia?
JH: China has no relationship to Europe. Europe is a market all by itself, and it deserves to be a great market all by itself, independent of anything else.
And intelligence is the foundational layer of every industry. And so it stands to reason that long term intelligence will be the size of the GDP of each region, and therefore, in total, EU is going to be a very large market for AI.
AK: And in terms of robotics AV, these are some of these future growth areas as well. When do we start to see robotics AV on a large scale?
JH: This is going to be the decade of AV, robotics, autonomous machines.
AK: And just a final one, Jensen, China, how are you assessing the progress there? We had the Huawei CEO come out the other day, try to downplay some of the progress being made on the chip front. What is your assessment of the chip side of the equation in China and the AI model and software side of the equation in China as well? And how they progress it?
JH: Our technology is a generation ahead of theirs. However, the important thing to remember is that AI tech. AI is a parallel problem if, if each one of the computers are not as capable, just have more computers. And what he’s saying is that, in China, they have plenty of energy, they’ll just use more chips.
And so in a lot of ways, he was saying that China’s technology is good enough for China. And if United States doesn’t want to partake, participate in China, Huawei has got China covered, and Huawei has got everybody else covered.
AK: And there’s still a big market you’re missing out on. Still feel if you can’t get let back in?
JH: Well, the important thing about China is both the business is important, but strategically, it’s even more important that the American technology stack is what AI developers around the world builds on.
If we want the American technology stack to win around the world, then giving up 50 percent of the world’s AI researchers is not sensible. And so that’s the most important part strategically, where AI developers develop their technology, it will run best on that technology.
And so over time, as AI diffuses around the world, we are not alone. United States is not alone if China diffuse, when China and starts to aggressively diffuse their AI technology, so long as all the AI developers are in China.
You know, I think China stack is going to win. And so we just have to be mindful of near term, near term actions on long term, unintended consequences.
And it’s our job, it’s my job, to inform the administration on the nature of our technology and the dynamics of our industry, and then after that is, you know, to support, support our our president and and he knows what he’s doing. He has a game plan. I trust him, and we’ll, we’ll support him the best we can.
AK: Thank you for being so generous of your time.
Interview transcript courtesy of CNBC.
