Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Warns China Could Beat America In AI: 'They Can Build A Hospital In A Weekend' While US Takes Years
Nvidia Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang cautioned that while the U.S. remains ahead in AI chip technology, China's unmatched speed in building infrastructure and growing energy resources could give it a strategic edge in the global AI race.
China's Fast Construction
Speaking to the Center for Strategic and International Studies in late November, Huang highlighted the stark contrast between U.S. and Chinese capabilities.
"If you want to build a data center here in the United States from breaking ground to standing up a AI supercomputer is probably about three years," Huang said.
"They can build a hospital in a weekend," he added.
China's Growing Energy Capacity Could Fuel AI Expansion
Huang also pointed to China's energy advantage.
China has "twice as much energy as we have as a nation, and our economy is larger than theirs. Makes no sense to me," he said, noting that China's energy capacity continues to grow while the U.S.'s remains relatively flat.
Despite these concerns, Huang emphasized Nvidia's technological lead in AI chips.
"We are generations ahead" of China on AI chip technology, he said, but added that underestimating China's manufacturing and infrastructure capabilities would be a mistake.
U.S.–China AI Race Hinges On Rules, Power And Infrastructure
Tech leaders and investors warned that the United States could fall behind China in artificial intelligence due to fragmented regulations, energy constraints and faster Chinese infrastructure development.
Last week, Alphabet Inc.’s (NASDAQ:GOOG) (NASDAQ:GOOGL) CEO Sundar Pichai urged national AI rules to avoid a confusing patchwork of state laws, while highlighting AI's medical promise and Google's defensive tools.
Last month, Investor Kevin O'Leary said energy security, not funding, was the critical driver of AI data center expansion and warned that China's power infrastructure threatened U.S. leadership.
Nvidia CEO Huang also cautioned that China's cheaper energy and lighter regulations gave it a growing advantage, even as U.S. and U.K. policies slowed progress.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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