NVIDIA Corp. (NASDAQ:NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang and Cisco Systems Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) CEO Chuck Robbins described unprecedented global enthusiasm for artificial intelligence development, with national leaders recognizing AI as a strategic priority.
What Happened: “In no initiative and no foundational technology that I’ve ever known since the internet has the world and the leaders realized the importance of artificial intelligence to them,” Huang said, in an interview with CNBC.
Robbins expressed confidence in the President Donald Trump administration’s commitment to maintaining American AI dominance despite concerns about potential tariff impacts on semiconductor imports.
“Based on the conversations I’ve had with the administration…they want to protect that lead, and they want us to win,” Robbins said. “I believe that their policies that they’re going to implement will ensure that happens.”
The comments come amid intensifying U.S.-China competition in AI development. The Trump administration recently backed “Stargate,” a $500 billion private-sector initiative involving OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle Corp. to build massive data centers in Texas, while simultaneously facing competition from Chinese firms like DeepSeek that are making technological advances despite U.S. export controls on advanced semiconductors.
Why It Matters: The administration is also reviewing AI regulatory approaches following proposals from companies like OpenAI, which has urged reduced regulation and highlighted potential threats from Chinese AI technology. High-level meetings between tech executives and Trump have included Michael Dell of Dell Technologies Inc., which projects its AI server business to reach $15 billion in fiscal year 2026.
Cisco and Nvidia announced a partnership to deliver AI technology to enterprises with new infrastructure. According to Huang, AI has “reinvented the entire computing stack” and requires a complete overhaul of enterprise systems. “We need to go and rerack the whole world’s companies,” Huang said.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
