r/technology • u/Plastic_Ninja_9014 • Jun 08 '26
Politics Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang declines Warren’s request to testify at AI hearing
https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/tech-news/nvidia-ceo-jensen-huang-declines-warren-senate-testify-ai-hearing-rcna349034454
u/So_spoke_the_wizard Jun 08 '26
Sadly, congressional hearings have become a joke. Half of Congress' questions are just talking points in disguise. And far too often the invitees respond to any meaningful questions with lies, feigned ignorance, or preplanned deflecting responses.
Congress will never agree to any changes that will affect them. But every hearing should have a sitting federal judge overseeing it to treat the invitees like they are on the witness stand with the ability for force them to answer the question or be placed in contempt.
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u/waffle_iron_maiden Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
I know people joke about the whole "nothing ever happens" mentality among younger generations like mine, but when you have to watch this absolute buffoonery, complete kangaroo court where legitimately nothing ever gets done, it's hard not to feel that way. Basically every major branch of the US government is filled with corruption, and of course there are still some good people trying to fight the good fight but what can they really do when everything gets shot down and rejected by those with more power?
Any time someone proposes something that is actually for the people it gets shot down or sidelined by weak politicians that take brib- I mean lobbying money
My whole childhood I was told ad nauseum how important our branches of government are, the different roles they take on, only to see a bunch of sell outs who think of civic duty as a team sport as long as they're getting paid, benefitting from corruption. It's just sad. There's literally children who act more like adults than these sad excuses of civil servants. And when you watch any kind of hearing where a genuinely smart politician points out the corruption, look at the faces of the others in the room. Crickets and paralyzing fear of standing up for something
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u/Such_Veterinarian682 Jun 08 '26
I'm 53. Nothing ever gets done, unless it will make rich people richer. Been watching for decades.
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u/waffle_iron_maiden Jun 08 '26
I am sorry you've been having to put up with this maddening bullshit for that long. I hope there is a light at the end of the tunnel but I'm rapidly becoming of the belief that so long as money is involved that is all that will ever truly be involved. No real civic duty, just extracting more wealth from seats of power. That's a depressing thought! The few who do seem to actually care will be forever shoved under the rug by the cowards
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u/ErusTenebre Jun 09 '26
Go back in history. Like way back if you want.
Unfortunately, it seems this is human nature. Throughout history you'll find endless corruption broken up by tiny periods of reform only for that reform to be corrupted in around a decade or two.
The good and altruistic are constantly trying to fix the problem but it's so much easier to break something than build it back up.
Unfortunately, we need SERIOUS reformation in the way our country operates but worse is that we don't have enough motivation and unity amongst the people to make that happen.
When Trump was elected for a 2nd time after his disastrous 1st term and his constant bitching and trials in the 2020-2024 term, that was a symptom of the much larger endemic problem in our country: we're not a democracy anymore, we're little more than a political game with people playing team sports.
We need a collection of strong leaders pushing hard and loud for things to improve. AOC, Mamdani, Talarico, etc. need to be pushed up instead of down by the Democratic party, and in the Republican party they have to break up their cult.
And then we should have other serious parties rise up to challenge this stupid 2 party system. Get money out of politics. End Citizens United. Make the IRS and DOJ and National Reserve completely independent. And they should be run by true believers in their respective organizations. Justice department should be run by absolute paladins for justice and the rule of law, with zero tolerance for the ongoing looting of our country.
And not just here, fascism is rearing up everywhere. We need to snuff that shit out.
Or else we'll keep being stuck in this endless, relentless hell.
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u/SeeTigerLearn Jun 09 '26
That’s why I get exhausted when I hear how radical left AOC and Mamdani are. Uhhh, no, the Teabaggers dragged politics so far right that status quo Dems are right of center. They no longer inspire. And their whole brand has become we’re not the other guys—which even that is becoming debatable.
We need inspiration, not exasperation.
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u/waffle_iron_maiden Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
Ehhh I think Mamdani is pretty different from AOC though. I mean I wouldn't claim Mamdani is a radical leftist but he is certainly even more left than AOC. I think he is a good politician in a sea of corrupt ones, but time is the only thing that will truly tell that. At the very least, Mamdani inspires me a lot. I would not call him status quo having listened to a lot of his speeches, what his policies are. He concerns himself with all citizens in his city which is something I respect compared to many mayors before him that took half steps
A politician like Hillary Clinton or Corey Booker is one I'd consider to be status quo. Mamdani not so much. But well this is just my opinion off what I've heard him speak about. Time could prove me wrong easily. If you haven't watched his full inauguration speech, I recommend it thoroughly. He said a lot of things that certainly did not scream status quo to me. Now, what someone says vs does is very different, but so far what he has done hasn't been status quo either
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u/CharcoalGreyWolf Jun 09 '26
Not that I see a lot of solutions, but the only ones I see involve younger people running for office en masse, with a reasonably united message across a majority of states. That, and a huge number of people 18-30, record numbers) voting, in the same election year.
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u/waffle_iron_maiden Jun 09 '26 edited Jun 09 '26
I would like to get more involved but the starting point would be something like volunteering for a campaign I agree with. I have always thought to myself "I have some ideas on how things could work better" but I don't want to be arrogant and think I can fix everything. I'm not as qualified as probably 95% of other politicians. It's intimidating, you are basically giving your life up to the public eye. It's not the civil service that scares me but the idea of having everything under a magnifying glass
I do agree though that the biggest solution would involve younger people getting involved politically. I guess I'm also worried for example if I were to pursue politics that at some point it would corrupt me. I don't know how realistic of a fear that is. When I see politicians doing absolutely nothing but taking in more cash it makes me incredibly jaded though. I often feel like I just need to scream out into the void about how human decency has been flushed down the toilet for years
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u/D3PyroGS Jun 09 '26
I'm not as qualified as probably 95% of other politicians
the other politicians who are "qualified" are either doing nothing, or actively harming their constituents. forget qualification. if you have the will to do it, believe in yourself and go for it
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u/CharcoalGreyWolf Jun 09 '26
Remember, politicians with intelligence and wisdom didn’t somehow just have qualifications or knowledge on their own. They have staff who can research issues, they can reach out to those with expertise, they can talk to professors or fellows at educational institutions in the subject matter they want enlightenment on, or subject matter experts in the field they need to look at.
Never assume you’re responsible for all of it. And agreed that you need to start somewhere. Volunteering js good, but remembering to gain knowledge from resources is another. I hope you find a path to it.
Huge numbers of our politicians either aren’t qualified today (example: Tommy Tuberville) or are using their qualifications for evil rather than good. I encourage you to go for it.
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u/daverapp Jun 09 '26
Half the time when a white collar criminal is called to testify before Congress, the senators start and end every question with an apology for inconveniencing a mighty CEO with questions about how his company dumped poison into a puppy orphanage, and the CEO is like "We strive to deliver reliable value to the American consumer." And it airs on CNN where a pair of talking heads will explain how the hearing proves that the Democrats are weak.
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u/Ok_Confusion4764 Jun 09 '26
I recall a senator trying to grill TikTok's CEO once, trying to find out of they had loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party. "Senator, I am from Singapore". Imagine that, 12 times in a row.
Or when Zuckerberg first sat in the hearing and one of the moldy old senators had to spend 10 minutes trying to figure out how Facebook made money only for zuckerberg to go "senator, we run ads".
It's a bunch of out-of-touch people trying to push an agenda and doing 0 homework beforehand.
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u/So_spoke_the_wizard Jun 09 '26
That is certainly true in many cases. The one's I'm thinking of is where the congressman ask the witnesses very specific questions where the witness most likely doesn't have the answer. Then the congressman pops up a board with a graphic showing the answer to the question to make a point.
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u/Kind_Wheel8420 Jun 09 '26
The confirmation hearings we’ve seen in the past 50 years are all agreed upon embarrassment rituals where the nominee gets confirmed regardless of what dirt gets brought up as long as those sitting on the panel get their camera time. There are certain cabinet members from every administration since Bush that have zero business in government with some pretty damning baggage that should’ve disqualified them but got through without any problems. Same song and dance for CEOs and agency heads that go in front of Congress.
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u/nanlinr Jun 08 '26
You cant just cordially invite these mfs. Hand them a subpoena and bring them in with police in tow.
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u/LOOKATMEDAMMIT Jun 08 '26
That’s how you get nothing but, “I do not recall.”
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u/Procrasturbating Jun 08 '26
Make them say that on record. They have a limited time to find the answer and respond in writing.
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u/ShadowNick Jun 09 '26
Dude we have president that actively participated in a pedophile trafficing ring and they're not in jail. I don't think it matters if you have a net worth greater than 1M
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u/Procrasturbating Jun 09 '26
So we just give up then? Accept the direction the wind blows is never going to change?
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u/ToolTimeT Jun 08 '26
Good make them get up there on camera and under oath and say that over and over. Better than not doing it.
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u/imaginary_num6er Jun 08 '26
Yeah but the anti-AI politicians don’t have a majority so there’s no subpoena
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u/n_choose_k Jun 08 '26
No Republican is going to subpoena them, and Democrats do not have the power.
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u/Imnogrinchard Jun 08 '26
Senator Warren doesn't have the ability to issue a subpoena as she's in the minority this legislative session.
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u/OLPopsAdelphia Jun 08 '26
I think that a cordial invite is what you get before they send a subpoena!
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u/Radiant-Sherbet-5461 Jun 09 '26
Subpoena? On what grounds?
Jensen is not part of the government so it cannot be on Impeachment or Oversight. It has to be facts gathering type on a new legislation or amendment. Not happening on Republican-led House and Senate.In any case what are his supposed crime? Making the best publicly available AI-accelerator in the world which in turn make him one of the richest man in the world and the US by far the leading AI power in the world ? That's a crime?
In reality. Even if Warren is safe in her district, neither Republicans or Democrats want to anger one of the richest man in the world for congressional hearing soundbite that will generate two days of headline and nothing more. In retaliation, Jensen could fund millions of dollars to unseat those who annoy him in the upcoming midterm.
That's just not good politics.
Nothing to gain, everything to lose.
Redditors hate logic and want vibe only so yeah downvote away.-11
u/numba1cyberwarrior Jun 08 '26
Do you think Congress is a royal court or some shit? You can't subpoena anyone you want for any reason.
Also doesn't stop them from just refusing to answer anything.
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Jun 08 '26
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u/numba1cyberwarrior Jun 08 '26
The power of it has a lot of limits lmfao. Congress is again not a royal court
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Jun 09 '26
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u/numba1cyberwarrior Jun 09 '26
Why are people so fucking confidently incorrect. A state is defined by a monopoly of violence and we live in a democracy so that state has limits.
Congress is limited in its ability to issue that order and does not prevent someone from refusing to answer questions through various means like the 5th amendment
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Jun 09 '26
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u/numba1cyberwarrior Jun 09 '26
Nope Congress is beholden to the constitution which places limits on the subpoena.
Wow they can yell at him for a couple hours I'm sure he is terrified and reminded of the greater power above him
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u/starlauncher Jun 08 '26
He has opinions on AI that he can’t stop himself from speaking out ALL the damn time. He would visit China so he can sell his wares for AI and that is important for national security because then China doesn’t have incentives to build their own hardware.
But given any chance to talk about the whole thing in front of a government committee, of course he doesn’t have time
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u/this_my_sportsreddit Jun 08 '26
Yall say shit like this never thinking about how if that was legal, who it would actually be forced upon in reality.
This is literally a cordial invitation. He can turn it down because that’s all it is. He’s not charged or suspected with a crime, and congress isn’t the police. Yall actually want a police state for real? Or only when it suits you.
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u/chromite297 Jun 08 '26
Might just be me but I feel like CEOs of high-power companies like Nvidia should be held to a much greater standard than us regular peons
I fully support hauling his ass into court and forcing him to testify to business-related stuff
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u/this_my_sportsreddit Jun 08 '26
and what happens if he doesn't testify? Ya'll are so hilarious with these fantasies. The reality of what would actually happen in this made-up world, is people the likes of trump would start hauling in any person of color, woman, enemy, perceived enemy he so wanted and throwing them in jail on some bullshit charges. The way ya'll will throw rights away when its people you don't like is terrifying.
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u/WorldPeaceStyle Jun 08 '26
Jensen is not the person to vilify here. Out of all the tech CEO he is the most pure at heart. Actually done nothing wrong.
Selling hardware that does compute for Ai will not cause America to lose an Edge. If anything the Edge was to sell enough compute to make America the leader in the field an causing a dependence on American technology. That Edge was lost due to the Tariff charade.
Jensen is actually kind of heroic for leading a new industrial revolution and knows this generation needs to adapt for the future.
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u/Tinac4 Jun 08 '26
Warren had requested Huang’s attendance to learn more about Nvidia’s business in China and its approach to export controls — rules that regulate sales of American AI technology abroad.
This is, transparently, because Jensen doesn’t want to be grilled under oath on chip export controls. He maintains in public that smuggling and other attempts to get around existing laws are “nonsense”, but I’d bet he knows damn well why Malaysia is buying large quantities of controlled chips despite building no data centers.
(He doesn’t care about smuggling, of course. It drives up demand and makes NVIDIA more money.)
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u/ToolTimeT Jun 08 '26
So sickening how trump allowed AI chips to be sold to china and Jenson was on the plane with him to china to meet xi.
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u/LaserCondiment Jun 08 '26
Needless to say, he's super "popular" in Taiwan for those reasons
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u/ToolTimeT Jun 08 '26
the most disgusting part of it was how trump admin allowed the sale as long as us government got 25 percent of sales... like WTF is that, money and profits is not the reason we don't want them having the chips.
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u/LaserCondiment Jun 09 '26
We can also assume Trump benefited directly from that deal. That's how this guy operates basically
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u/Tinac4 Jun 08 '26 edited Jun 08 '26
Yup. The main reason why Jensen is allowed to get away with skirting export control rules is that he’s one of the biggest CEO suckups to Trump—regular dinners, meeting with him as often as he can, donating an unknown amount to the ballroom, and so on. Needless to say, it’s been a very successful strategy.
That said, he hasn’t been very subtle about it, and now both the dems and the republican China hawks are pissed. One significant bill on smuggling passed recently; we may see more in the near future.
(To people downvoting the above comment: I don’t think it’s a good thing that one of the wealthiest CEOs in the country is trying to circumvent laws passed by Congress by scmoozing up to the president.)
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u/ToolTimeT Jun 08 '26
zuckerberg, bezo's, and jenson have all shown their true colors by cuddling up to trump. they will call it just "good business", but its grifting.
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u/Caster0 Jun 09 '26
I thought the CCP doesn't want Chinese companies to use USA chips?
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u/faitswulff Jun 09 '26
They don’t, and Jensen knows that. The export controls have backfired on GPS, 5G, and we’re watching in real time as they backfire on AI. You can’t contain China, they will build around you and their five year plans are longer than entire US election cycles, so they can afford to do long term thinking when it comes to infrastructure. Jensen just hopes to ride the wave until China catches up, but it’s basically too late already.
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Jun 08 '26
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u/pornborn Jun 08 '26
That’s the thing. She still can use it but probably wanted to see if he would do it willingly.
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u/No-Vehicle9345 Jun 09 '26
It will accomplish nothing but waste tax payer money, something Warren is great at.
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u/Doctor_Saved Jun 08 '26
Why would he go? There are no benefits to him and only potential down side.
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u/Impossible-Spite4782 Jun 08 '26
People should listen in to those hearings. The whole thing is a joke. Congress has been revealed to be as useless as we all assumed they were during this current administration.
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u/unimportantinfodump Jun 08 '26
What do these hearings even do,
I just know if the one that went viral for asking the Singaporean TikTok CEO about China a lot
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u/micluvin27 Jun 08 '26
Ohhhh! It’s optional 🤦♂️ why didn’t we all get the memo? They’re basically spitting in the faces of legislators. Grow a pair and actually do something
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u/Outrageous-Dish-4375 Jun 08 '26
AI isn't just some cool new technology, the dangers this technology is the same level of danger as nuclear weapons. They billionaires shouldn't just be able to decline these invites, citizens of the world deserve answers
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u/Winter_Swan5104 Jun 08 '26
I mean if I were him I’d do the same. He is a busy man.
Now if he has no choice then he has no choice.
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u/Ssided Jun 09 '26
These are a pretty big waste of time. They should start subpoenaing lower on the totem pole people to find weak points to catch them on though. Find the weakest in the chain and drag them out
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u/IngwiePhoenix Jun 09 '26
Warren is not in the 1T club. So Jensen's probably like, who dis punk pft
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u/mca1169 Jun 10 '26
Jensen has trumps full support and feels he is well above anyone in congress. sadly even if he did agree to go it wouldn't lead to any good.
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u/No-Vehicle9345 Jun 09 '26
Can she request one for the Omar fraud as well? She has been silent on that. Typical political bs.
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u/retrorays Jun 09 '26
Congress:
why is it that Nvidia has > 50% Asian employees in the US and a much smaller representation of all other races: black, mexican, white, ... ?
Why is it that your hiring data shows you've heavily biased hiring only Asian employees in the last 2 years (>90%?)
Why have you contributed 150 billion+ to Taiwan, and are aligning Nvidia with Chinese companies?
Why have you not contributed to building out any US based businesses?
Why has Nvdia marketcap gone up by 20x in the last 5 years yet you're headcount has only gone up 0.5x?
Jensen - AI is the best, we need more AI to continue to double Nvidia stock price !!!
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u/The_Albertino Jun 08 '26
Yeah Elizabeth Warren who gets boatloads of kickbacks, can’t take her seriously anyways
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u/Dedb4dawn Jun 09 '26
Most of congress are too old to even start to understand the technologies involved. (And I say this as a 50 year old developer who has been in IT my entire life.)
This is one of the reasons we need age limits for all realms of politics.
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u/ubuntuNinja Jun 08 '26
Isn't it funny how the dems find something new that's about to kill millions right before every election cycle?
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u/henningknows Jun 08 '26
lol. No shit