“Your career begins with the AI ​​revolution.” The head of NVIDIA to the graduates of the university where artificial intelligence was born

No generation has had more powerful tools to shape the future, NVIDIA founder and chief Jensen Huang told graduates at the university where AI originated. He encouraged them to take advantage of the new era that does not replace people but enhances their potential: “Put your heart into the work.”

• “AI automates tasks but empowers workers. The task and the purpose of a job are not the same”.

In a recent speech to the graduates of the class of 2026 at Carnegie Mellon University in the US, an institution considered the cradle of artificial intelligence and robotics, Jensen Huang spoke to the young people about the “extraordinary moment” of their entry into the world, according to the NVIDIA Blog.

“I can't imagine a more exciting time to start your career. A new industry is being born. A new era of science and discovery is beginning,” said the NVIDIA boss.

In front of thousands of people gathered at the University of Pittsburgh's stadium, Huang said that no generation has had more powerful tools or greater opportunities. “We are all on the same starting line. This is your time to help shape the future,” he said.

The head of NVIDIA drew a parallel between the beginning of the PC revolution, when he launched his career, and the current moment. “But what's going to happen now is more important than anything else before,” Huang stressed. “Because intelligence underpins every industry, every industry will change.”

A Chance to 'Reindustrialize America'

Huang described AI as driving the largest expansion of technological infrastructure in human history and a “once-in-a-generation opportunity to reindustrialize America and restore the nation's ability to build.”

This opportunity, he pointed out, extends to many industries and trades, including electricians, plumbers, blacksmiths, technicians and builders. “AI isn't just creating a new computing industry. It's creating a new industrial age,” he pointed out.

Task versus Purpose

Regarding the impact on the workforce, Huang explained that AI automates tasks but values ​​workers because “the task and the purpose of a job are not the same.” He gave the example of radiologists: technology can automate the interpretation of scans (the task), but the doctor remains the one who cares for the patients (the purpose).

“The way forward for this generation, indeed for everyone, is to engage deeply in AI,” he said, adding that when society embraces technology with optimism, human potential is expanded.

“AI probably won't replace you, but someone who uses AI better than you might,” the NVIDIA founder warned.

Responsible development of AI

Huang stressed that an effort of this magnitude requires a “lucid” approach so that the “great promise” of AI can be realized, while also taking into account the “real risks”.

“The responsibility of our generation is not just to advance AI, but to advance it wisely,” he said, at which point the audience cheered and applauded his next statement: “scientists and engineers have a profound responsibility to jointly advance the capabilities and safety of AI.”

The head of NVIDIA did not leave out non-technical groups either, pointing out the role of the authorities: “Policymakers have a responsibility to create well-thought-out protective barriers that protect society while allowing innovation, discovery and progress to move forward.”

To face this moment, Huang recommended four simultaneous actions: “Let's move forward cautiously. Let's develop well-thought-out policies. Let's make AI accessible to everyone. And let's encourage everyone to get involved.”

He warned that retreating from technology does not stop progress, but only deprives society of the opportunity to shape it.

“So the answer is not to fear the future. The answer is to guide it wisely, build it responsibly, and ensure that its benefits reach as many people as possible,” Jensen Huang added.

“Put your heart into the work”

At the end of the ceremony, where he was awarded the title of Doctor Honoris Causa, Jensen Huang evoked the history of the university where the first AI program was created in the 50s.

He urged the graduates to adopt the school's motto: “My heart is in the work. So put your heart into the work. Build something worthy of your education, your potential, and the people who believed in you long before the world did.”