Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang urged society to embrace artificial intelligence and create “new social norms” to adapt to the AI age, according to an exclusive AP interview conducted June 16, 2026, in Sherman, Texas. Huang, whose work helped enable AI development, stressed that people should engage with the technology rather than fear it, saying the transformation will create new opportunities.
“We need to create new social norms,” Huang said in the interview. “I would advocate that everybody use AI. Just go engage it.” He emphasized that a fuller embrace of the technology would improve people’s lives and help close the technological divide in America.
Huang’s call for widespread AI adoption comes as the technology has become a political flashpoint. Public concerns about potential job losses and threats to humanity have mounted alongside rapid AI deployment. Data center expansion plans have faced local objections, and workers worry about layoffs without safety nets. Huang felt compelled to address these critics directly, framing AI’s potential as broadly beneficial rather than threatening.
The Nvidia CEO cited AI’s practical benefits: designing websites, analyzing complex documents, guiding advanced research, and planning kitchen remodels are now accessible to people without programming skills. Huang contended that AI can help democratize advanced work across the economy.
Huang also acknowledged the need for guardrails. He said there is a need for some government regulation and safety standards for AI, emphasizing that national security should be a priority for the technology that has been powering stock market gains and U.S. economic growth. He cautioned that policymakers must be specific about risks before setting export control policies, saying, “you have to be very specific about the risk that you’re concerned about, before setting up policies for export controls.”
To illustrate how society adapts to transformative technology, Huang drew a historical parallel. He said society will adjust to AI much as it did to automobiles, which were once portrayed as killing children. The world changed its norms by creating sidewalks, crosswalks, and establishing rules keeping children out of streets. Huang suggested similar social adjustments would allow AI to be integrated safely into daily life.
Huang was speaking at an expansion of the Coherent manufacturing facility in Sherman, Texas, where a new laser technology aims to cut AI data center power consumption by up to 50%. He stressed that energy production is critical to America’s AI competitiveness, noting that the U.S. is “woefully behind in energy production” and must address that gap to maintain leadership in AI infrastructure.
Sources
- AP News — Exclusive interview with Jensen Huang on new social norms for AI, conducted June 16, 2026, covering his views on AI adoption, regulation, national security, and historical parallels to automotive transformation
- The Business Journal — Reporting on Huang’s statements regarding government regulation, safety standards, and national security priorities for AI
- Let’s Data Science — Coverage of Huang’s advocacy for new social norms and his positions on regulation and safety standards
