Nvidia's Huang bolsters european AI investments, targets open-source and physical AI

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang has announced a $2 billion investment in Europe, bringing total commitments to $8 billion over the past year. The investment aims to accelerate AI adoption and boost demand for NVIDIA's chips. During his European tour, Huang met with French President Macron, discussing open-source software, AI safety, and future visits to London and Berlin. He emphasized the need for Europe to compete with the U.S. by leveraging open-source models and 'technological sovereignty.' Huang has invested in four French startups: Doctolib, Pigment, Entalpic, and Genesis AI, alongside supporting Mistral AI's development of the Le Chonk model using 4,000 Grace Blackwell chips. He envisions 'physical AI,' particularly in humanoid robots, as the next major opportunity. However, growing European concerns over model control and data center energy use cast doubt on the initiative's reception.