Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia, told Axios in a "Behind the Curtain" video interview with Mike Allen that policymakers — including those in the Trump administration — should avoid letting speculative, science‑fiction style fears shape artificial intelligence policy. Huang argued that overreaction could slow AI adoption and weaken the United States' competitive position.
What he said
Huang dismissed claims that AI will end humanity or eliminate half of American jobs as "complete nonsense." He warned that scaring workers and companies away from using AI poses a greater danger than hypothetical catastrophic scenarios.
He urged policymakers to consult more than just "one or two" CEOs when crafting rules, and warned against restricting technology on the basis of scenarios that have not occurred. "Before you listen to all the rhetoric, before you listen to all the stories, before you manifest some kind of artificial intelligence future that is just not true — it's science fiction," he said.
Huang also suggested some firms may be invoking safety concerns to obtain regulatory advantages: "Some of the companies hope that the government would be helpful in creating regulations to their advantage."
When asked whether he feared the administration could overcorrect, he replied affirmatively.
The broader context in Washington
Huang's comments come as Washington faces two intertwined challenges: how to manage increasingly advanced AI systems, and whether to restrict powerful open‑source models emerging from China over allegations of intellectual property theft and security risks.
Companies such as Anthropic and OpenAI have pressed the US government to take the risks of the most advanced systems seriously; critics contend those safety campaigns could also serve to entrench the labs' market positions. Huang did not name specific companies; Nvidia is a major partner and supplier to both.
Recent developments and investigations
US officials have taken steps related to Chinese AI efforts: Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent warned of sanctions and trade restrictions against Chinese firms he accused of conducting "industrial‑scale distillation attacks." Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios alleged that Chinese startup Moonshot AI distilled Anthropic's technology to develop a model called Kimi and likely used Nvidia chips to train it.
A Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security spokesperson told Axios the bureau is investigating potential export violations involving Nvidia Blackwell chips.
Huang's relationship with the administration
Huang has an unusually influential relationship with the Trump administration and has spoken positively about President Donald Trump and senior advisers, praising White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick as "incredible people." He said, "He's my president and I want my president to be successful so that our country could be successful."
That relationship has coincided with policy outcomes favorable to Nvidia, including approval to resume exports of certain AI chips to China.
Bottom line
As AI capabilities advance and Chinese models improve, Huang's perspective will be tested by whether Washington treats openness and rapid adoption as strategic strengths or as risks to be contained. He warns that succumbing to dramatic, speculative fears could hinder adoption and harm US competitiveness.
