Artificial intelligence (AI) is set to generate jobs at scale rather than eliminate them, Jensen Huang said, pushing back against growing concerns over automation-led job losses, according to a report by TechCrunch.
Speaking during a conversation with MSNBC’s Becky Quick at an event hosted by the Milken Institute, the Nvidia chief executive argued that AI should be seen as an “industrial-scale generator of jobs” rather than a threat to employment.
The discussion centred on rising economic anxiety around AI, particularly whether rapid technological change could lead to greater inequality. Responding to concerns about disruption, Huang maintained an optimistic outlook, stating that “AI creates jobs” and describing the technology as the United States’ best opportunity to re-industrialise.
He pointed to the emergence of a new class of industrial infrastructure — AI-focused factories producing advanced computing hardware — as a key driver of employment. These facilities, along with the broader AI ecosystem, require significant human labour, he said.Huang also sought to clarify the distinction between tasks and jobs. While AI may automate specific functions, he argued that this does not equate to eliminating entire roles. “People who believe this misunderstand that the purpose of a job and the task of a job are related but not the same,” he said, suggesting that workers will continue to play broader roles even as certain tasks become automated.
At the same time, he criticised what he described as alarmist narratives around AI, including claims that it could dominate humanity or wipe out large sections of the economy. His concern, he said, is that such rhetoric could deter people from engaging with the technology.
“My greatest concern is that we scare people…to the point where AI is so unpopular…that they don’t actually engage it,” Huang noted.
However, critics argue that some of this “doomer” discourse has been amplified by the AI industry itself as a way to generate attention and hype around emerging technologies.