Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang was seen using Samsung Electronics' latest foldable phone, the Galaxy Z Fold 8, at a public event. The device came into view because of an unexpected phone call from U.S. President Donald Trump.
Trump's Call on Speakerphone Puts a Samsung Phone in Huang's Hand
Huang took part in a panel discussion at the All-In Summit in Los Angeles on the 14th, industry sources said on the 15th. While speaking on stage, he received a call from Trump and unfolded his smartphone to switch on the speakerphone so the audience could hear the conversation.
In doing so, he revealed that the device he was using was Samsung Electronics' Galaxy Z Fold 8. The unfolded screen also displayed the caller's name as "President Trump."
It was not the first time Huang's preference for Samsung foldable phones has surfaced in public. In May, during Trump's visit to China, Huang was seen using a Galaxy Z Fold 7. At the time, Nvidia said the phone had been a gift from Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Jay Y. Lee.
How Huang obtained the Galaxy Z Fold 8 has not been confirmed. It is not known whether Lee gave him the new model as another gift, or whether Huang bought it himself or received it through another channel. Still, the sight of him using the latest model after the previous one has renewed attention on the relationship between Samsung Electronics and Nvidia.
The two companies have been expanding cooperation centered on AI chips. Huang and Lee have also met repeatedly in recent months to discuss AI semiconductors and supply chains. Lee and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won are expected to attend the Korea Society Annual Gala in New York on the 28th, where they will meet Huang again as this year's recipient of the Van Fleet Award.
Trump Calls AI Fears a "Con Job" in Call With Huang
The central theme of the event where Huang's smartphone was revealed was the pace and risks of AI development, according to foreign media including The New York Times and TechCrunch.
Trump pushed back strongly against recent warnings about the dangers of AI. Robots will not take over the world and AI will not take over the world either, he said, describing such concerns as a con job. At the same time, he called AI a bigger change than the internet and said the United States must not fall behind China in the technology race.
He also suggested that efforts to slow AI development could be politically motivated or backed by China. Trump said such moves aligned with the intentions of those who do not want AI to advance, adding that they could be political people or they could be China.
Huang responded in agreement, saying he would not let that happen, drawing applause from the audience. He also stressed that AI could bring benefits not only to industries and companies but to individual U.S. states and citizens.
Huang Opposes Broad Calls to Slow AI Development
In the discussion, Huang said predictions that AI could bring about the end of humanity have no scientific basis. In effect, he expressed a negative view of broad efforts to slow the pace of the AI industry itself.
Even so, he said safety concerns raised from within AI companies should not be dismissed. Huang praised Anthropic whistleblower Jacob Coxson, who raised concerns that the company was developing AI too quickly, saying he had shown great courage.
He added that if a company judges that it cannot control its own technology, it should pause development or slow down. His position appears to draw a line between slowing the entire industry across the board over general AI fears and individual companies responding to specific risks they identify.
Nvidia, which supplies the core chips needed to run AI models, is considered one of the biggest beneficiaries of expanding AI investment. Against that backdrop, Huang's public exchange with Trump over the race for AI dominance, delivered through Samsung Electronics' newest foldable phone, put both moments from the event in the spotlight at once.
