Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has identified cybersecurity as the next major use case for artificial intelligence, warning that rapid advances in AI are set to disrupt an industry already under pressure from the speed of software development.
Speaking at the Goldman Sachs technology conference in San Francisco on Thursday, Huang said AI-powered automation of computer programming was changing cybersecurity by accelerating the creation of code — and the speed at which vulnerabilities could be exploited and fixed.
He said the development of AI could create both new opportunities and new problems for cybersecurity companies.
“What better way to create demand than to create a problem,” Huang said, while distinguishing between responsible and less attractive ways of driving demand.
Huang’s comments came as investors continue to assess whether heavy spending on AI infrastructure will generate sufficient economic returns. Nvidia delivered a long-term forecast last month that reinforced expectations on Wall Street that investment in AI data centres would continue.
The Nvidia chief also addressed concerns about the company’s growing investment activity in the AI sector.
Last week, Nvidia announced plans to acquire AI startup Hugging Face for about $13 billion, expanding its presence across additional areas of the AI industry. The company’s frequent deals have raised concerns about potential market distortions in the emerging technology sector.
Huang rejected suggestions that some of Nvidia’s investments could be circular, arguing that the company is able to identify genuine customer demand.
“It’s not circular because we put a little bit of money in and a lot of money comes back,” he said.
Huang said Nvidia invests only when it is confident of the opportunity, describing the requirement as a “sure thing”. Potential investment targets, he added, must already have customers lined up.
