Jensen Huang addressed the class of 2026 at CMU:

      NVIDIA’s CEO gave the keynote speech at Carnegie Mellon University’s 128th commencement on Sunday, where he was awarded an honorary doctorate. His speech portrayed AI as a pivotal moment for industrial reawakening in the US, urging engineers and policymakers to enhance capabilities while ensuring safety concurrently.

      Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, addressed the graduates, emphasizing that they were embarking on their careers at the onset of the largest shift in computing platforms ever. “I cannot imagine a more exciting time to begin your life’s work,” he remarked.

      The venue supported his message well, as Carnegie Mellon’s School of Computer Science developed the Logic Theorist in the 1950s, recognized as the first AI program, and launched the world’s first academic Robotics Institute in 1979. Huang made it clear that “AI started right here at Carnegie Mellon,” during his address to graduates gathered in the rain at Gesling Stadium. He also received the honorary Doctor of Science and Technology from CMU President Farnam Jahanian, one of the university’s top accolades.

      The essence of his speech centered around four key imperatives that Huang has reiterated in various recent forums, now applied to the graduates' choices: “Advance safely. Create thoughtful policies. Make AI broadly accessible. And encourage everyone to engage.” His emphasis on these points resonated with a campus known for its significant contributions to both AI capability and safety, particularly in areas where the two are closely intertwined.

      “Scientists and engineers,” Huang stated, “have a profound responsibility to advance AI capabilities and AI safety together.” He then positioned AI within the broader context of US industrial history, claiming it represents “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reindustrialize America and restore the nation’s capacity to build.”

      Huang integrated these themes with remarks from recent earnings calls and industry gatherings, tailoring his message for the graduates by expanding the scope of the workforce impacted by AI. He suggested that AI’s advantages would extend beyond tech roles to encompass “electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, technicians, and all kinds of builders,” emphasizing a shift in NVIDIA's public engagement amid growing political concerns about AI's labor market implications.

      Addressing the nature of work itself, Huang differentiated between the tasks and the purpose of a job. “Radiologists,” he noted, “don’t just read scans. They care for patients. AI automates scan reading (the task) but elevates the radiologist: the purpose.” This point reflects NVIDIA’s response to claims that AI replaces workers, though its applicability varies across clinical settings, an intricacy Huang did not delve into, which is fitting for a commencement address but relevant for readers interpreting his framing in other scenarios.

      Huang confronted the political discourse on AI, navigating it with the diplomatic tone befitting a commencement. “Every major technological revolution in history created fear alongside opportunity,” he remarked. He encouraged policymakers to create sensible regulations that safeguard society while fostering innovation, echoing sentiments expressed by firms like Anthropic, OpenAI, and Microsoft over the past year.

      While he acknowledged the political landscape, he did not address whether current US regulatory discussions meet desired standards.

      His speech took on a personal tone at times, where Huang recounted his journey as a first-generation immigrant, his parents’ faith in American opportunities, and described the country as “not easy, but full of opportunities. Not a guarantee, but a chance.” He posed a line that embodied both rhetoric and conviction: “How can we not be romantic about America?” This refrain has been a frequent theme in Huang's addresses, striking a chord with audiences who resonate with similar immigration narratives.

      This emphasis dovetails with NVIDIA's recent $40 billion commitment to AI investments, framing the company's success as part of America’s national renewal as much as private enterprise achievement.

      Huang wrapped up his address by invoking Carnegie Mellon’s motto and encouraging graduates: “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.” He concluded by waving to the graduates as he exited the stage, with thousands of smartphones raised in the crowd.

      Huang’s keynote delivery during this commencement was notably distinct from his more theatrical presentations at other events like GTC, Computex, and Davos, where he often employed a five-layer AI infrastructure framework and showcased products, at times even featuring a CGI version of himself. This CMU address prioritized a more straightforward communication style suited to the occasion, though the core arguments remained consistent.

      For graduates, the implications are significant; the job landscape they are entering differs fundamentally from that of their predecessors, even those who graduated just three years ago. The first US undergraduate AI degree, which CMU introduced in 2018, has now produced its first complete cohorts. Job roles in machine-learning engineering, alignment research, AI infrastructure operations, and applied AI products have become established categories, rather than emerging fields.