Jensen Huang’s Address to CMU’s Class of 2026: "Your career starts at the AI revolution"
May 11, 2026 – 9:30 am
Image by: NVIDIA
NVIDIA’s CEO, Jensen Huang, delivered a keynote address at Carnegie Mellon University’s (CMU) 128th commencement ceremony on Sunday morning, where he received an honorary doctorate. In his speech, Huang framed AI as a pivotal moment in US history, comparable to the reindustrialization era, and urged both engineers and policymakers to advance AI capabilities while ensuring safety.
Huang noted that CMU’s School of Computer Science played a significant role in the early days of AI with its creation of the Logic Theorist in the 1950s and the world’s first academic Robotics Institute in 1979.
"AI started right here at Carnegie Mellon," Huang emphasized during his address. He received an honorary Doctor of Science and Technology from CMU President Farnam Jahanian, a significant recognition from the university.
The core message of Huang’s speech revolved around four key imperatives:
- Advance safely: Scientists and engineers have a responsibility to work on both AI capabilities and safety together.
- Create thoughtful policies: Develop policies that make AI broadly accessible and beneficial to all.
- Make AI broadly accessible: Ensure the benefits of AI reach various workers, including electricians, plumbers, ironworkers, technicians, and builders.
- Encourage everyone to engage: Foster a culture where everyone understands and contributes to the AI revolution.
Huang positioned AI within the context of US industrial history, arguing that it presents a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reindustrialize America. He also highlighted how AI automates tasks but elevates the purpose for which those tasks are performed, using radiologists as an example.
The speech underscores NVIDIA’s perspective on AI and its potential impact on various industries and workers.