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During a Visit to Beijing, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang Surprised by Revealing That, If He Were 20 Years Old Today, He Would Not Choose Computer Science as His College Major. The Statement Drew Attention by Highlighting a Little-Viewed Area as Essential for the Future of Artificial Intelligence.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang surprised by stating that if he were 20 years old today, he would choose to pursue a different academic path. During a visit to Beijing, the executive shared his reflections on the future of technology and changes in the field of artificial intelligence.
Focus on Physical Sciences
When asked by a journalist which area he would choose if starting his career in 2025, Huang was straightforward: “For young Jensen at 20 years old, who has already graduated, he probably would have chosen… more physical sciences than software sciences.”
The answer sparked curiosity. After all, Huang graduated with a degree in electrical engineering from Oregon State University in 1984 and completed his master’s at Stanford in 1992. A year later, he co-founded Nvidia with Chris Malachowsky and Curtis Priem. Today, the company is the most valuable in the world, with a market value of US$ 4 trillion.
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Even with this background, he believes that studying subjects like physics, chemistry, astronomy, and earth sciences is the most promising path for young people who want to work in technology and innovation.
The Waves of Artificial Intelligence
The reason for this shift in focus is linked to the very evolution of artificial intelligence. Huang explained that, in the past 15 years, AI has gone through three major phases.
The first was the so-called “Perception AI”, which began with the launch of the AlexNet model in 2012. This system showed that computers could recognize images with a high degree of accuracy, marking the beginning of the modern AI boom.
Next came the phase of “Generative AI”, where models began to understand the meaning of information and translate it into different formats: texts, images, code, among others. This phase is the basis for current content generation systems, like automated translators and virtual assistants.
Now, we have entered the third phase: “Reasoning AI”. According to Huang, current systems can already solve complex problems, recognize patterns, and act in new situations. This intelligence is used in AI agents, also known as digital robots or “digital workforce.”
Companies like Microsoft and Salesforce are heavily investing in this new generation of intelligent systems. They are already performing tasks previously reserved for humans and promise to revolutionize how we handle everyday tasks and production processes.
The Era of Physical AI
However, for Huang, the future goes beyond. He believes we are about to enter the phase of “Physical AI”, which will require systems to understand real-world concepts like friction, inertia, cause and effect.
He gave practical examples: understanding where a ball will land after being thrown, calculating the ideal force to hold a delicate object, or even predicting the presence of a pedestrian behind a car. This demands skills related to physics and spatial reasoning.
“When you take this physical AI and put it in a physical object called a robot, you have robotics,” he stated. This combination will be fundamental for the future of the industry.
Smarter Factories
According to Nvidia’s CEO, in the next 10 years, highly robotic factories and industrial plants will be essential to face the problem of labor shortages worldwide. “We are building factories all across the United States. And they need to be smart,” he said.
Huang believes that mastering physical sciences will be crucial to designing these factories of the future. Therefore, he recommends that ambitious young people focus their studies in this field, even though the traditional path of software engineering is still valued.
Based on his trajectory and vision for the future, Jensen Huang makes it clear: artificial intelligence is evolving, and anyone who wants to be part of this transformation must master the laws of nature. Physical sciences are back at the center stage in building tomorrow.
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