SAN JOSE: Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang said he would choose a job candidate who is skilled in artificial intelligence over one who is not, arguing that AI fluency is becoming a basic workplace advantage as businesses adopt the technology across functions. Huang made the remarks in a podcast episode released on March 23, framing AI use as a differentiator for new graduates and established workers alike as companies increasingly deploy AI tools in office, service and technical roles.
In the interview, Huang said that if he were hiring a new college graduate and had to choose between someone with no understanding of AI and someone who was “expert in using AI,” he would hire the latter. He said the same standard now extends beyond software jobs to accounting, marketing, supply chain, customer service, sales, business development and legal work, underscoring how quickly AI tools are moving into routine business processes.
Huang said teachers should encourage students to use the technology and added that “every college student should graduate and be an expert in AI.” He extended that message beyond white-collar work, saying carpenters, electricians, farmers and pharmacists should test how AI can improve their jobs. At the same time, he said the technology will dislocate and eliminate many tasks through automation, especially where a worker’s role is defined mainly by the task itself.
AI Skills Reshape Hiring
He said jobs should be viewed separately from the tools and tasks used to perform them, arguing that automation does not automatically erase the underlying profession. Huang pointed to radiology as an example, saying AI systems have become superhuman at reading scans but have not eliminated the need for radiologists. Instead, he said, demand for radiologists continued to rise, and he applied the same reasoning to software engineering, where he said Nvidia’s own engineering ranks would keep growing.
The comments were consistent with remarks Huang made during Nvidia’s GTC developer conference in San Jose on March 17, when he said AI would raise productivity and create jobs rather than simply remove them. Speaking during a question-and-answer session, Huang compared AI with earlier waves of computing such as personal computers, the internet and mobile devices, which he said expanded output and made workers more productive rather than reducing the need for people.
Workplace AI Moves Beyond Engineering
Huang’s remarks come as companies integrate generative AI into hiring, customer support, software development, administrative work and internal research. Nvidia has become one of the main suppliers of chips and software used to train and run those systems, placing Huang at the center of the debate over how AI will change work. At GTC this month, the company highlighted AI agents and related software designed to automate or assist a wider range of business and consumer tasks.
In the podcast, Huang also described AI as unusually accessible because users can ask the technology itself how to use it, reducing the barrier faced by beginners learning new tools. That, he said, is one reason workers in nearly every field should start experimenting with AI now rather than waiting for formal technical training. His message was that AI skill is no longer confined to engineering teams but is becoming relevant across professions, classrooms and trades. – By Content Syndication Services.