Nvidia CEO Shrugs Off Concerns About Kids Losing Math Skills Due to AI: “I Don’t Even Know My Own Address”

Nvidia’s CEO, Jensen Huang, is a big advocate for artificial intelligence, and it’s clear he sees it as essential for growth. His company plays a crucial role in supplying the hardware that powers the data centers and systems behind most AI technologies. So, it’s no surprise that he doesn’t seem too concerned about the potential downsides of AI, like its impact on cognitive skills, especially among younger users.

In a recent interview, Huang discussed research from China indicating that while AI tools help students complete their homework more quickly, they also seem to hinder the retention of the skills those assignments are meant to teach. Huang acknowledged that many kids using AI might struggle with retention, but he remained unfazed.

“Try to get a kid to do long division right now,” Huang remarked. “The multiplication table is starting to fade. Square roots? My goodness. Basic math is being forgotten. Does it matter? I don’t think it does.”

When the interviewer suggested that some skills are indeed important, Huang agreed but questioned whether basic math was one of them, hinting that we might discover new essential skills in the future. He even confessed that his reliance on AI and technology has led him to forget his own home address and phone number.

“There are a lot of skills that don’t matter,” he stated.

“My first confession: I actually don’t know my address. It’s completely true…[my wife] Lori will tell you. One day I had to pump gas—it was a few years ago. They needed my ZIP code, and I panicked. I didn’t know my ZIP code. I don’t know my telephone number. I forget these things. I can live with it.”

Huang suggested that while AI might diminish some “finer intellectual dexterity,” there’s no need to worry. We’re all set to become better “systems thinkers.”

What that means is a bit unclear, and Huang’s lengthy explanation didn’t clarify much. It seems a “systems thinker” might struggle in situations where their phone is dead and they need to provide their address or phone number. They might also find themselves unable to perform basic math or explain how their chatbot calculates that 4 x 3 equals 12. Sounds like a bright future ahead!