White House 'AI chief' David Sacks calls himself ..., a title that Nvidia CEO called 'badge of shame' not patriotic

White House AI czar David Sacks has defended Donald Trump administration’s approach to China. In a recent interview on Bloomberg Television, he said that it was essential for the US to dominate artificial intelligence, seeking to rebuff criticism from advocates of a harder line with China. He went on to add, “I want the US to win this AI race . We understand that China is our main competition globally in this AI race, and we want to do everything we can to win.”

Taking aim at concerns raised by supporters of a tougher China policy, Sacks said, “I consider myself to be a China hawk .” Incidentally, this is the same phrase that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang recently called "badge of shame".

According to a report in Global Times, on the tech podcast BG2, hosted by tech investors Brad Gerstner and Bill Gurley, Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang stated that some Americans wear the label of "China hawks" as a "badge of honor." In his view, however, it is a "badge of shame" and that their actions are not "patriotic."

As per the report, Huang further remarked, "I didn't hear about the phrase 'China hawks' until just a few years ago." He went on to critique the mindset, saying, "Apparently, if you are a 'China hawk,' you get to wear that label with pride. It's almost like a badge of honor. [But] it's a badge of shame. There's no question it's a badge of shame.

Nvidia CEO's 'urgent appeal' to US government on China
On the podcast, Nvidia CEO once again made an urgent appeal to the American government on China. He said that allowing American technology companies to compete openly in China serves the best interests of both the countries. Huang highlighted the rapid advances and robust potential of China's chipmaking industry, cautioning that the country is "nanoseconds behind" the US. "We’ve got to go compete," he asserted, pointing to China's deep talent pool, hustling work culture, and intense internal competition across its provinces. He described the environment as a "vibrant, entrepreneurial, hi-tech, modern industry."