Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang just walked out of a meeting with President Trump where they discussed chip export controls - and he's not holding back on his views about AI regulation. The timing couldn't be more critical as Congress debates whether to include sweeping chip restrictions in the defense spending bill while states push their own AI oversight measures.
The semiconductor world's most powerful CEO just had the ear of the most powerful man in Washington, and the conversation centered on one of tech's biggest flashpoints: who gets access to America's most advanced AI chips.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang told reporters he'd just finished meeting with President Trump on Wednesday, where they "talked in general about export controls." The timing is no coincidence - lawmakers have been wrestling with the Guaranteeing Access and Innovation for National Artificial Intelligence Act, a proposal that would force chipmakers like Nvidia and AMD to give U.S. companies first dibs on AI chips before selling to countries like China.
But Huang got some welcome news. The GAIN AI Act isn't expected to make it into the National Defense Authorization Act, according to Bloomberg sources. The Nvidia chief called that decision "wise," going so far as to label the GAIN AI Act "even more detrimental to the United States than the AI Diffusion Act."
"I've said it repeatedly that we support export controls, and that we should ensure that American companies have the best and the most and first," Huang told reporters on Capitol Hill. It's a careful balancing act - supporting the concept of restrictions while opposing specific legislation that could crimp Nvidia's global sales.
The real fireworks came when Huang turned his attention to the growing patchwork of state AI regulations sprouting across the country. His message was blunt: state-by-state rules would be a disaster for American competitiveness.
"State-by-state AI regulation would drag this industry into a halt and it would create a national security concern, as we need to make sure that the United States advances AI technology as quickly as possible," Huang said. "A federal AI regulation is the wisest."
That stance puts him squarely in Trump's camp. The president posted on Truth Social last month urging legislators to include language in the defense bill that would preempt state AI laws in favor of "one federal standard." The tech industry has mobilized around this issue, creating a to fight state-level regulation.
