Are AI Bosses Taking Over The World? Trump Says They Are
Discussing the growth of AI at a conference alongside UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, US President Donald Trump had a message for Nvidia CEO Jenson Huang: “You're taking over the world, Jenson, and I don’t know what you’re doing here.”
Trump’s remarks came during his recent state visit to the UK, where he pointed to the AI as a significant contributor to the UK and US’ agreement on technology and science partnerships.
He added: “All I can say is we both hope you’re right but it’s pretty amazing.”
Jenson Huang’s AI superpower plan for the UK
The Nvidia boss has recently expressed strong confidence in the UK’s potential to become an AI superpower, discussing the nation's opportunities and challenges — including the need for serious infrastructure investment — during an interview with the BBC.
He said: “What’s missing is the AI infrastructure, and we are here to build it”, referring to the key role that the tech firm can play in delivering on the ambitions set out in the recent agreement between the UK and the US: the US$42bn Tech Prosperity Deal.
To address this gap, Nvidia is partnering with British firm Nscale to develop a network of AI-focused data centres across the UK.
These will be powered by Nvidia’s processors and tailored specifically for the high-performance demands of AI training and deployment.
Jensen calls them “AI factories,” explaining, “you apply energy to it and it produces something incredibly valuable — and these things are called tokens.”
The tech CEO also discussed the energy efficiency of AI, claiming that systems powered by AI can be “a thousand times more efficient” than traditional computing in some use cases, such as weather forecasting.
To meet the energy demands of large-scale infrastructure, he suggested using energy sources, including gas turbines for short-term, off-grid power and nuclear.
“The productivity gains from AI will offset increased energy consumption,” he added.
Speaking to analysts at Goldman Sachs, he discussed how the chip industry can be easily impacted by geographical concentration, adding: “The ecosystem of manufacturers and suppliers to the chip industry is sprawling and complex and particularly concentrated in Asia.”
He noted how companies should ensure they have enough "intellectual property" to be able to relocate if necessary, and highlighted how he was "disappointed" over China’s reported restrictions on Nvidia chips.
Through UK investment and global collaboration, Jensen positions Nvidia at the forefront of AI’s next chapter.
Microsoft's US$30bn investment
AI giant Microsoft is also in the UK’s AI investment mix, with the company’s CEO Satya Nadella setting out plans for a US$30bn infrastructure investment into the UK’s technology.
A part of the wider technology agreement between the US and UK, the move signals the firm's largest investment outside the US market.
Satya says the deal is a direct route to productivity gains and economic growth, adding that the benefits could be supercharged by the scale of the investment.
In an interview with the BBC, the leader discussed how the scale and speed of economic impact is boosted by AI.
Talking about the growth of AI, he said: “It may happen faster, so our hope is not 10 years but maybe five. Whenever anyone gets excited about AI, I want to see it ultimately in economic growth and GDP growth.”
This hefty commitment from the tech firm mainly focuses on expanding data centre infrastructure across the UK, and includes joining a UK government-backed supercomputer project in Essex, originally announced in January 2025.
Who holds the power of AI?
Prime Minister Starmer says the Tech Prosperity Deal, which has a large focus on AI development and deployment, is “a generation step change in our relationship with the US”, pointing to key ambitions around “creating highly skilled jobs, putting more money in people’s pockets and ensuring this partnership benefits every corner of the UK.”
Trump’s administration sees the deal as a way to “export American AI to allies and partners”, according to the BBC.
The President may have jokingly suggested that the Nvidia CEO is taking over the world, but speaking to analysts at Goldman Sachs, Jenson said: “President Trump wants America to win, President Xi wants China to win — and it’s possible for both of them to.”