At the event, Maglaras asked Huang about the future of AI and lessons from building the company he co-founded in 1993. Since NVIDIA’s inception, Huang has served as the company’s president and CEO. He also sits on its board of directors.
Until recently, NVIDIA was best known for its leading role in the PC gaming market. Now, new markets have started to adopt NVIDIA’s technology—most notably, the booming AI market. Today, NVIDIA and its computational technology are crucial to widespread AI adoption.
Jensen Huang, left, and Dean Costis Maglaras
The company got there by targeting graphics, physics, simulation, and later AI. Huang says this strategic choice was key to creating a computing platform and fueling NVIDIA’s growth. Ultimately, AI and deep learning, which use the same accelerated computing architecture, became huge opportunities for the company.
Discussing the keys to NVIDIA’s remarkable success, Huang said the company “chooses projects with one fundamental goal: to build an amazing environment for the best people in the world who want to pursue their life’s work.”
Huang predicts that going forward, AI will enable new creative possibilities for consumers, in areas like design and website recommender engines. He added that AI will not replace all jobs done by humans, but those who do not embrace it could be left behind: “AI is not going to take your job. The person who uses AI is going to take your job.”
Overall, Huang stressed the importance of strategic thinking, mastering your craft, and pursuing your passions. Rather than competing directly with rivals, he advised identifying difficult problems your company is distinctively positioned and equipped to take on. And while skills like strategy and finance are key, he said, character and values matter most in leadership roles: “It turns out great success and greatness is all about character.”