Jensen Huang Says AI Models Like DeepSeek’s R1 Will Boost, Not Replace, Nvidia’s Role

In a recent interview with Alex Bouzari, CEO of DataDirect Networks, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang expressed his belief that the market misunderstood the potential impact of DeepSeek’s R1 open-source reasoning model.

Contrary to market reactions, Huang argued that R1’s release is incredibly exciting and will accelerate AI adoption, rather than rendering computing resources like Nvidia’s irrelevant.

A Misguided Market Reaction

Huang addressed the widespread reaction to R1, which led to concerns about the future of AI computing. “The market responded to R1 as in, ‘Oh my gosh, AI is finished,’” Huang commented. “You know, it dropped out of the sky. We don’t need to do any computing anymore. It’s exactly the opposite.”

Rather than signaling a downturn, Huang emphasized that DeepSeek’s advancements in AI model efficiency would lead to greater opportunities for AI to grow.

The release of R1 encourages the AI community to explore new ways to enhance model efficiency, thus accelerating AI adoption and creating more demand for computing power.

The Role of Post-Training

Despite the advancements made by DeepSeek, Huang pointed out that post-training processes—an area where Nvidia excels—will remain a significant part of the AI pipeline.

Huang clarified, “Reasoning is a fairly compute-intensive part of it,” suggesting that while R1 can streamline certain elements, it won’t eliminate the need for powerful compute resources for more complex tasks.

Nvidia’s Stock Rebounds

Huang’s comments come after DeepSeek released its open-source R1 model, which initially sent shockwaves through the AI industry. Nvidia’s stock dropped by 16.9% following the news, losing $600 billion in market cap over three days.

However, the stock has since largely recovered, trading at $140 per share as of Friday, February 21, 2025, nearly regaining the value lost during the initial market reaction.

DeepSeek’s Open Source Week

In another development, DeepSeek announced plans to open-source five code repositories next week as part of its “Open Source Week” event. This will likely continue to generate buzz around the company’s approach to AI development.

As Nvidia prepares to report its Q4 earnings on February 26, Huang’s statement reinforces his confidence that Nvidia’s role in the AI ecosystem remains strong and poised for continued growth, despite the competition.