Nvidia’s Huang pushes for AI infrastructure in every country
At the G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, NC, tech leaders including Nvidia's CEO Jensen Huang, Anthropic's Tom Brown, and OpenAI's Sam Altman, along with US government officials, discussed the rapid expansion of AI infrastructure. The discussions highlighted public backlash against data centers, the need for new power generation, and policy around tariffs and domestic manufacturing. Officials and industry leaders offered differing views on community engagement and the economic benefits of data center development.
The G20 Innovation Ministerial in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, and related G20 meetings in Asheville, became a platform for intense discussions on artificial intelligence infrastructure, including data centers. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang emphasized that AI is foundational infrastructure, akin to water and electricity, and urged every country to invest in it.
Prominent tech leaders, including Huang, Anthropic Co-Founder Tom Brown, and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, were present, engaging with US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House Office of Science and Technology Policy Director Michael Kratsios. The discussions frequently touched upon the public backlash against data center development across the U.S. Tom Brown of Anthropic cited a post from former President Donald Trump, who criticized communities opposing data centers, calling them a source of prosperity, jobs, and tax revenue.
However, not all officials agreed on the industry's approach. Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro stated that "too many" developers disregard local communities, while US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent admonished AI companies for doing a "horrendous job" of reassuring the public about the benefits of the AI buildout. Commerce Secretary Lutnick, meanwhile, dismissed opposition as "propaganda by our adversaries" and praised domestic building efforts.
The conversation also covered the impact on electricity grids, with some suggesting data centers could bring down power costs by generating new power, while others expressed concerns about increased demand. Tariffs on semiconductors were also a key topic, with Secretary Lutnick confirming the Trump administration is working on a new framework to encourage domestic production, stating that companies should expect to pay if they don't build in America.