Nvidia Scandal Tests the Resilience of the Global AI Boom

Résumé détaillé

Jensen Huang is the biggest cheerleader of the ‘next industrial revolution.’ Could it carry on without him? | World News

Let’s remember a simpler time, just a few weeks ago, when the supposed China dupes were those Americans raising concerns about AI—not the guy leading the industry’s charge.

Back then, Jensen Huang was Mr. Cool with a black leather jacket and megaphone of support for artificial intelligence. As co-founder of Nvidia, he led one of the most valuable companies in the world thanks to his bet on his chips powering the development of the rapidly developing technology.

Huang’s judgment was an underpinning of the AI boom—the enthusiasm he stoked, the vision of the future he sold, not just to investors but the White House and other world leaders. Other American CEOs wanted to be him—or, at least, curry favor with him in hopes of landing make-or-break shipments of GPUs—while women, apparently, wanted to be with him.

During the peak of the AI exuberance, Huang even autographed an adoring female fan’s chest at a trade show. It felt lighthearted in the moment. In hindsight, two years later, perhaps not the best judgment.

Now, the chip guy’s judgment is all anyone wants to talk about, after he admitted Sunday to an extramarital affair. The woman at the center of the controversy, who was a top executive at Nvidia customer Megaspeed International, is suspected of spying for China.

There are so many questions yet to be answered. But one of the biggest is whether this scandal will pop what many see as an overzealous AI investment bubble—a trigger that could ripple painfully through the 401(k)s and pension plans of many Americans.

Huang’s future as CEO of Nvidia is in question. Shares fell Monday and continued their slide Tuesday. The company’s board, which said it has confidence in its CEO, is investigating his actions. And he’s being called to Congress to testify. Many want to know what he knew about Megaspeed’s efforts to acquire Nvidia chips to help China in potential violation of U.S. export restrictions. (The People’s Republic of China has denied the accusations.)

“Recent reports raise…

Début de l'article, extrait de Hindustan Times. Pour lire la suite, ouvrez l'article chez le média.