Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang: AI Replaces Tasks Before Jobs, Doomsday Claims Lack Evidence

In an interview with The New York Times published September 25, 2026, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said much of the current anxiety around AI is overblown, arguing that AI is more likely to automate specific tasks before replacing entire professions.

Huang characterized work as a mix of tasks, such as writing code, organizing documents and replying to customers, and purposes, such as diagnosing diseases, solving engineering problems and serving clients. AI typically handles concrete tasks first, he said, and does not necessarily eliminate an entire occupation. Software engineers, for instance, may see AI generate large volumes of code, but their roles in understanding requirements, designing systems, weighing risks and verifying results will grow in importance.

Responding to predictions that AI could destroy humanity within 10 years, Huang said such claims lack scientific evidence and research support. He added that AI raises productivity and may create new industries and jobs, though not everyone will benefit equally. In the short term, individuals may lose tasks, income or bargaining power before new opportunities emerge; over the long run, technology could create new demands and careers, but the pace of transition and how gains are distributed will shape its social impact.

Huang described AI as a multi-layer stack spanning energy and chips, data centers, models, and applications. The application layer, he stressed, is what will truly transform hospitals, schools, manufacturing and legal services, rather than model leaderboards themselves.

He also said AI's expansion carries near-term energy costs, with fossil fuels still needed for years because clean generation capacity has not reached the scale the AI industry requires. Over the long term, however, AI could drive investment in energy production and help researchers improve power grids, materials and climate systems.