AI is already changing how many industries operate, but it could soon have a more pivotal role across most of them.
In a recent interview with CNBC, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang made a bold prediction about the future of artificial intelligence. He argued that AI isn’t just a transformative technology, it will be the very foundation upon which industries are built, much like an operating system. His analogy of AI as a “factory” is particularly intriguing and speaks to the immense potential he sees in this technology.
“AI,” Huang stated, “is the foundation, the operating system of every single industry going forward.”
He explained the reasoning behind this powerful statement: “And the reason for that is, of course, everything that we do in life is underpinned by intelligence.”
Huang then highlighted NVIDIA’s role in this AI-powered future: “And we create—what NVIDIA builds—is the infrastructure for manufacturing digital intelligence.” He emphasized the scale at which this infrastructure can operate, referring to NVIDIA’s recent announcement regarding the use of silicon photonics to connect millions of processors: “Now we’re looking at this… One processor… but in our data centers, we announced the way yesterday to connect millions of these together using silicon photonics.”
This interconnected network of processors, according to Huang, represents an unprecedented leap in computational power: “And so we now have the ability to go from 100,000 of these things to millions of these things running in the data center at the same time.” He concluded with a powerful image of the future of industry: “And that—that infrastructure, that factory if you will—is the factory of the future.”
Huang’s vision paints a picture of a future where AI is not merely a tool, but the underlying engine driving every sector. Just as an operating system manages and controls hardware and software, AI, in Huang’s view, will orchestrate the complex processes and decision-making within industries, from manufacturing and logistics to healthcare and finance. His analogy of the factory suggests a level of automation and intelligent control that could revolutionize production and innovation.
The implications of this are vast. If AI does become the operating system of industry, it will necessitate a fundamental shift in how businesses operate, requiring new skills, infrastructure, and ways of thinking. The demand for AI specialists will continue to surge, and companies that fail to adapt to this AI-driven landscape risk being left behind. It’s still early days, but if Huang’s AI factory does indeed become a reality, it could end up transforming businesses — and humanity as we know it.