Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declines Warren’s request to testify at AI hearing

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has declined an invitation from Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) to testify at a Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs hearing scheduled for Thursday. The hearing aims to examine AI’s role in American innovation, affordability, and technological dominance, with Warren specifically requesting Huang’s attendance to discuss Nvidia’s operations in China and export controls on AI technology. Huang’s refusal comes amid Warren’s criticism of his prioritization of events like a $1 million-a-head dinner at Mar-a-Lago and meetings with Chinese leadership over congressional testimony. In a letter to Warren, Huang acknowledged the importance of the issues but stated his inability to attend, while offering to host committee members at Nvidia’s Santa Clara headquarters. Warren emphasized Nvidia’s central role in AI, economic competition, and national security, calling for accountability in export policies. Nvidia, the world’s most valuable company with a $5 trillion market cap, designs advanced AI chips critical to global AI systems. Huang has previously advocated for broader sales of Nvidia chips worldwide, arguing that American companies should lead in innovation. Warren, however, has warned that such sales could undermine U.S. technological leadership and bolster China’s military capabilities. The Commerce Department recently closed a loophole allowing Nvidia to export powerful AI chips to restricted regions, reflecting ongoing debates over export controls. Congress is now considering stricter bills to limit chip sales to China and other rivals, balancing concerns over national security with the need for U.S. competitiveness in AI. Huang’s absence from the hearing underscores tensions between corporate interests and regulatory oversight in the rapidly evolving AI sector.