NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has ignited fresh debate in the tech world by urging the United States to win over China’s AI talent if it hopes to dominate the future of artificial intelligence. In a candid conversation during the “Memos to the President” interview, Huang emphasized that while the U.S. 
possesses the hardware, China holds the minds driving AI innovation – with over 50% of the world’s AI developers based there.
“The first mission of any platform is to win the developers,” Huang explained, drawing a bold comparison between America’s tech stack and the U.S. dollar – both, he believes, should be global standards. But to achieve that, Huang suggests the U.S. must attract and retain top-tier talent, especially from China, before rival nations establish their own ecosystems.
Huang has long criticized Washington’s strict AI chip export controls, warning that such restrictions risk pushing China toward creating its own alternatives. Ironically, these policies could accelerate China’s self-sufficiency, as seen in the rise of startups like DeepSeek, which have flourished despite sanctions.
Notably, many of the biggest names in American AI – from Scale AI’s founders to AI educator Andrew Ng – are of Chinese origin, including Huang himself. These individuals are shaping the global future of AI not because of, but in spite of, the increasingly frosty U.S.-China climate.
Yet, the geopolitical tension is real. U.S. policies have spurred a wave of student departures, with Chinese families pulling their kids from American universities amid growing distrust. Critics accuse Huang of double-dealing – advocating American dominance while building dependency on Chinese markets.
Still, Huang’s position is clear: compete globally, but win locally by being the magnet for the world’s best minds. And in a world where talent fuels the AI arms race, the real battleground might not be silicon but citizenship.