Jensen Huang would have ditched ‘coding' for ‘physics': Nvidia CEO urges mastering the real world for the next AI wave
During a recent visit to Beijing, Jensen Huang—CEO and co-founder of Nvidia, now the world's most valuable company—was asked a deceptively simple question by a journalist: 'If you were a 22-year-old graduate in 2025 with the same ambition, what would you focus on?' His answer didn't name AI, software, or even coding. Instead, Huang said that a younger version of himself would likely have chosen to study the physical sciences over software science. His response, as reported by CNBC Make It, may sound surprising at first. But look deeper, and it reveals where Huang believes the world—and artificial intelligence—is truly heading.
Jensen Huang, who graduated from Oregon State University in electrical engineering and later completed his master's at Stanford, has built his career at the intersection of hardware and software. But his emphasis on physical sciences today isn't just nostalgic. It's strategic. 'The next wave,' Huang says, 'requires us to understand things like the laws of physics, friction, inertia, and cause and effect.' It's not just about data anymore—it's about understanding how data interacts with the real world.
Huang sees this evolution as part of AI's natural journey. From the era of 'Perception AI' sparked by breakthroughs like AlexNet in 2012, to today's Generative AI, we are now entering the age of what Huang calls Reasoning AI. But looking forward, he envisions an even deeper transformation: Physical AI. This next wave of AI will require machines not only to reason and predict, but to interact with the physical world in meaningful ways. 'Physical reasoning,' Huang explains, involves abilities like object permanence, force prediction, and situational awareness—skills that are foundational to fields like physics, mechanics, and materials science. And when this reasoning AI is embedded into real-world machines, it becomes robotics—the future of work, industry, and human-technology collaboration.
Huang's remarks come at a time when other tech leaders are also returning to foundational sciences. Telegram CEO Pavel Durov recently advised students to master mathematics as the ultimate problem-solving tool, while Elon Musk chimed in with his own recommendation: 'Physics (with math).'
The conversation between Durov and Musk—two of tech's most influential figures—went viral not just for the names involved, but for the clarity of their shared message: real intelligence isn't just about flashy tech; it's about clear, logical thinking rooted in hard sciences. Now, with Jensen Huang adding his voice to that chorus, the message is unmistakable. The world's most successful innovators are urging the next generation to dig deeper—not just into apps and algorithms, but into the physical laws that govern our world.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Indian Express
19 minutes ago
- Indian Express
Microsoft enters $4 trillion market cap, joins Nvidia in exclusive club
Microsoft became the second company to reach a $4 trillion market valuation on Thursday, after its blockbuster earnings boosted shares by nearly 4.5 per cent, lifting its intraday valuation to $4.01 trillion. The company's stock has climbed about 28 per cent since January and rebounded nearly 50 per cent from April lows triggered by Trump's tariff offensive. The surge follows a strong quarterly report on Wednesday. Microsoft forecast a record '$30 billion in capital spending' for the current fiscal first quarter to power its AI growth and reported robust sales in its Azure cloud business. Analysts noted that Microsoft's Copilot AI is driving 'meaningful growth' in the Microsoft 365 enterprise suite. The milestone comes just 18 months after it hit the $3 trillion mark, and a few weeks after Nvidia became the first company to top $4 trillion. Apple was last valued at $3.12 trillion. Recent breakthroughs in US trade talks ahead of Trump's August 1 tariff deadline have also buoyed stocks, pushing the S&P 500 and Nasdaq to record highs.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Nvidia says its chips have no 'backdoors' after China flags H20 security concerns
Academy Empower your mind, elevate your skills Nvidia said on Thursday its products have no "backdoors" that would allow remote access or control after China raised concerns over potential security risks in the firm's H20 artificial intelligence Cyberspace Administration of China, the country's internet regulator, said it was concerned by a US proposal for advanced chips sold abroad to be equipped with tracking and positioning functions. The CAC's move cast uncertainty over the US company's sales prospects in China weeks after a US export ban was regulator said it had summoned Nvidia to a meeting on Thursday to explain whether its H20 AI chip had any backdoor security risks , as it was worried that Chinese user data and privacy rights could be affected. A backdoor risk refers to a hidden method of bypassing normal authentication or security a statement, an Nvidia spokesperson said, "Cybersecurity is critically important to us. Nvidia does not have 'backdoors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them." The White House and both houses of US Congress have proposed the idea of requiring U.S. chip firms to include location verification technology with their chips to prevent them from being diverted to countries where U.S. export laws ban sales. The separate bills and White House recommendation have not become a formal rule, and no technical requirements have been has been a focus of US-China relations, and China's move comes shortly after the US this month reversed an April ban on Nvidia selling the H20 chip to China. The company developed the H20 chip for the Chinese market after the US imposed export restrictions on advanced AI chips in late 2023. Nvidia chips are now dispensable for China. They can be easily put on the negotiating table," said Tilly Zhang, an analyst with Gavekal Dragonomics."China obviously has more courage and domestic substitution capabilities compared to previous years to not rely on overseas technology." This month, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang embarked on a public and effusive visit to China, where he sought to demonstrate his commitment to the Chinese market, met with government officials, and praised the country's AI CAC statement did not elaborate on what backdoor security risks there could be or say what the Chinese government was considering doing as a Chai, an analyst with tech- and consumer-focused 86Research, said Beijing's warning was likely a symbolic stance against similar objections made by US authorities."However, we do not believe Beijing will make excessively harsh demands or introduce regulatory hurdles that will effectively drive Nvidia out of China, for the lack of alternatives. China still needs Nvidia chips for domestic research and applications," Chai products are highly sought after not just by Chinese tech companies but also by Chinese military bodies, state-run AI research institutes, and universities. The company last week placed an order with contract manufacturer TSMC for 300,000 H20 chipsets due to strong demand, Reuters authorities and industry associations have in the past accused U.S. tech companies of posing security risks, with varying early 2023, China barred key operators of the country's infrastructure from purchasing from Micron, saying that a review it conducted had found the U.S. memory chipmaker's products posed serious security year, the Cybersecurity Association of China, an industry group, called for Intel products sold in China to be subject to a security review, but Chinese regulators have not publicly responded. Nvidia is also facing an antitrust investigation in China. The State Administration for Market Regulation announced late last year it was investigating the chipmaker over suspected violations of the country's anti-monopoly regulator said Nvidia was also suspected of violating commitments it made during its acquisition of Israeli chip designer Mellanox Technologies, under terms outlined in the regulator's 2020 conditional approval of that deal.
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Microsoft races past $4 trillion valuation after solid results
By Pranav Kashyap Microsoft soared past $4 trillion in market valuation on Thursday, becoming the second publicly traded company after Nvidia to surpass the milestone following a blockbuster earnings report. The technology behemoth forecast a record $30 billion in capital spending for the first quarter of the current fiscal year to meet soaring AI demand and reported booming sales in its Azure cloud computing business on Wednesday. Shares of Microsoft were up 6.6% at $546.33 in morning trading. "It is in the process of becoming more of a cloud infrastructure business and a leader in enterprise AI , doing so very profitably and cash generatively despite the heavy AI capital expenditures," said Gerrit Smit, lead portfolio manager, Stonehage Fleming Global Best Ideas Equity Fund. Redmond, Washington-headquartered Microsoft first cracked the $1-trillion mark in April 2019. Its move to $3 trillion was more measured than technology giants Nvidia and Apple, with AI-bellwether Nvidia tripling its value in just about a year and clinching the $4-trillion milestone before any other company on July 9. Apple was last valued at $3.11 trillion. Lately, breakthroughs in trade talks between the United States and its trading partners ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline have buoyed stocks, propelling the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq to record highs. Microsoft's multibillion-dollar bet on OpenAI is proving to be a game changer, powering its Office Suite and Azure offerings with cutting-edge AI and fueling the stock to more than double its value since ChatGPT 's late-2022 debut. Its capital expenditure forecast, its largest ever for a single quarter, has put it on track to potentially outspend its rivals over the next year. Meta Platforms also doubled down on its AI ambitions, forecasting third-quarter revenue that blew past Wall Street estimates as artificial intelligence supercharged its core advertising business. The social media giant upped the lower end of its annual capital spending by $2 billion - just days after Alphabet made a similar move - signaling that Silicon Valley's race to dominate the artificial-intelligence frontier is only accelerating. - the largest U.S. cloud provider - which will report earnings on Thursday after markets close, rose 1.7%. Wall Street's surging confidence in the company comes on the heels of back-to-back record revenues for the tech giant since September 2022. The stock's rally had also received an extra boost as the tech giant trimmed its workforce and doubled down on AI investments - determined to cement its lead as businesses race to harness the technology. While sweeping U.S. tariffs had investors bracing for tighter business spending, Microsoft's strong earnings have shown that the company's books are yet to take a hit from the levies.
