President Donald Trump called Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang on Monday during the All-In Summit in Los Angeles. Huang was onstage at the time and could not send the call to voicemail.
Huang told Trump he was onstage with the hosts of the All-In podcast. He then asked for a microphone so he could put the call on speaker for the crowd.
The podcast hosts include venture capitalists Chamath Palihapitiya and Jason Calacanis. Two other hosts, David Friedberg and David Sacks, also serve as advisers to the White House.
Before the call, Huang and the hosts were discussing a weekend essay from Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei. Amodei had asked AI companies to slow down how fast they improve their systems.
Tesla CEO Elon Musk and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman both said they agreed with Amodei's message. Huang has not shared that same view in public.
Trump Calls AI Safety Concerns A Hoax
During the call, Trump said fears about AI were being used by people who do not want the United States to succeed. He said this could include political opponents or China.
"We're not going to let that happen. It's a hoax," Trump said on the call. Huang responded, "You're right. We're not going to let that happen, sir."
The crowd at the summit applauded after Huang's response. Trump also said robots would not take over the world.
Trump praised data centers during the call. He said they make people and states wealthy and compared their value to oil.
"It's the oil of the next 20, 25 years," Trump said. He added that people should still act with caution.
Public Opinion On Data Centers
Not everyone shares Trump's view on data centers. A recent Gallup poll found that seven in ten Americans oppose building data centers in their area.
More than half of those polled pointed to the effect on environmental resources as their top concern. About 20 percent said they worried about rising living costs.
Trump and allies like Y Combinator CEO Garry Tan have suggested that opposition to data centers is part of an organized campaign against American growth. Huang did not comment on that claim during the call.
Nvidia declined to comment on the exchange between Huang and Trump. The company also did not say whether the two men plan to meet again soon.
House Speaker Mike Johnson said this week that AI industry leaders should take the lead on safety issues. He also said Trump plans to hold a meeting with AI leaders.
A source familiar with the plans told NBC News that a meeting is in the works. No date has been set yet.
