Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, whose company profits from the expansion of artificial intelligence, called for "new social norms" to manage the technology's societal impact, advocating for its widespread adoption to enable tasks "without needing to know how to program or write software." This vision suggests a future where capital extracts greater surplus value by deskilling labor and reducing reliance on specialized human expertise.
Huang, speaking in an Associated Press interview 1 day ago in Sherman, Texas, stated, "We need to create new social norms," and urged, "I would advocate that everybody use AI. Just go engage it."
He asserted that AI could generate "faster economic growth and more scientific breakthroughs," a framework that prioritizes the acceleration of capital accumulation and technological advancement over the equitable distribution of resources or the protection of labor.
Huang detailed how AI can assist individuals in tasks such as designing websites, analyzing complex documents, guiding advanced research, and planning kitchen remodeling, all without requiring traditional programming or software development skills.
He drew a parallel between society's adaptation to AI and its historical adjustment to automobiles, noting that cars were once depicted as dangerous but that "the world changed its norms by adding sidewalks and crosswalks and stopping kids from playing in the streets."
Capital's Vision for AI
The expansion of AI systems is creating a "huge demand for electricity," according to Huang, who noted that some data centers will be constructed with "their own electricity sources," signaling capital's drive to privatize and control essential infrastructure.
Huang criticized the United States, stating it is "woefully behind in energy production" and has "suffocated energy production for too long," linking this directly to the energy requirements of the burgeoning AI industry.
He highlighted the expansion of the Coherent factory in Sherman, Texas, which is focused on developing a laser for transmitting data among chips, a technology projected to "cut power use by AI systems by up to 50%." This reduction in energy consumption directly translates to increased profit margins for AI operators.
The State as Capital's Partner
Huang also advocated for "some government regulation and safety standards for AI" and emphasized that "national security should always be the top concern of all technologies."
However, he qualified this by stating, "you have to be very specific about the risk that you’re concerned about, before setting up policies for export controls," indicating a desire to limit state intervention that might impede capital's global movement and market access.
His close relationship with former President Donald Trump has drawn criticism from Democrats, according to Huang. He recounted that Trump invited him to dinner at Mar-a-Lago 1 year ago after Huang received the Edison Achievement Award for his AI work.
Huang described Trump as "incredibly engaging, incredibly charismatic, conversational, asked a lot of questions," and stated that from their first meeting, Trump has consistently discussed "creating more jobs, reindustrializing the United States, protecting national security, winning."
Huang further revealed that Trump "calls me in the middle of the night and wants to talk about one of these topics," underscoring the direct line between a leading figure of capital and the state apparatus.
He concluded this point by stating, "We could differ with politics, but we should want him to succeed," adding, "Because when President Trump succeeds, our country succeeds," explicitly linking the success of a political leader aligned with capital to the perceived success of the nation.