Caixin United News, July 26, lead article reads:

"On Saturday (July 25), NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, without prior coordination, both spoke out in support of China's large artificial intelligence (AI) models on the same day. Huang stated that China is destined to produce outstanding AI technologies and should continue learning from and cooperating with it; Musk, on the other hand, asserted that China is highly likely to become a leader in AI, and even if the U.S. bans Chinese models, it cannot stop this trend."

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, on the same day (July 25), unusually 'spontaneously' endorsed China's AI large models, an event that has triggered strong reactions across the tech world and public discourse.

Although their statements emphasized different aspects, their core messages were remarkably consistent:

Huang stressed that China annually produces more AI talent than all other countries combined, and exceptional talent will always find excellent solutions—thus, China is 'destined' to deliver world-class AI technology. He specifically praised Chinese open-source large models such as DeepSeek and Kimi, explicitly opposing U.S. restrictions or bans on Chinese open-source models, arguing that the world needs both closed-source and open-source systems, and that the notion that 'Chinese large models contain backdoors' is fundamentally wrong.

Musk directly claimed that China is highly likely to become the leader in AI, and U.S. sanctions cannot stop this development. From a broader, foundational resource perspective, he pointed out that China holds decisive advantages in the AI race: first, its vast pool of engineering talent; second, its powerful electricity supply capacity (China’s power generation is expected to reach three times that of the U.S. by 2026, sufficient to support high-energy-consuming data centers); third, China is closer than most people think to solving the advanced lithography machine challenge.

Huang’s logic is very clear: cheaper, more open AI models lower the barrier to entry, enabling more enterprises and individuals to adopt AI, which in turn greatly increases demand for underlying chips, data centers, and computing infrastructure. He bluntly stated, 'Free AI should benefit hardware, benefit chips.' If the U.S. government forcibly severs the open-source ecosystem, it would actually shrink NVIDIA’s market space.

Huang warned that if only one model remains globally, the world would become more vulnerable (a single point of failure). He co-signed an open letter supporting open source with over 20 other tech giants—including Microsoft and IBM—effectively mobilizing the collective force of the American tech industry to pressure Washington’s extreme containment policies, aiming to preserve NVIDIA’s global foundation.

Musk’s mention of China’s power advantage and expectations for breakthroughs in lithography technology confirms that China is exploring a realistic path to overcome physical computing bottlenecks through massive application scenarios, complete industrial support, and deep integration with domestic chips (such as Huawei’s Ascend).

Amid overseas entrepreneurs’ praise, we must remain vigilant. The evaluation of transnational capital is always guided solely by self-interest. Huang’s ‘equal footing’ and call for ‘learning’ stem fundamentally from the fact that China’s AI has genuinely caught up—and aligns with NVIDIA’s commercial interests. What truly deserves pride is not others’ recognition or flattery, but rather the robust internal drive and resilience demonstrated by China’s AI industry despite relentless blockades. Only by persisting in technological innovation and fostering an open ecosystem can we continue far into the global AI marathon.

In short, Huang and Musk speaking out in support of 'China’s AI' on the same day represents an objective acknowledgment by the global tech community of China’s AI capabilities, and also marks a collective correction by U.S. tech capital against politicized technology suppression. This signifies that China’s AI industry has evolved from 'passive defense' to 'ecosystem formation.' Future competition will increasingly depend on who can build a more open, vibrant global innovation ecosystem.

Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871781642488840/

Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author(s) alone.