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Jensen Huang, one of the most important figures in the artificial intelligence sector, has resigned as chief executive of technology giant Nvidia, according to a statement from the company's board of directors.
Huang found himself at the center of controversy when he was accused of having an extramarital affair with Alice Huang (they share the same last name but are not related), the former managing director of a data center company based in Singapore.
This woman has been named as a suspected Chinese spy.
Last Sunday, the leader admitted to having been “unfaithful” to his wife and apologized for having harmed her and her children.
Subsequently, the New York Times revealed that Huang had a second romantic relationship with an employee of his own company.
Beijing has warned the United States against trying to use these espionage accusations as a pretext to once again restrict technology sales to China.
The Chinese government has denied the allegations.
Nvidia is already investigating the relationship that Huang acknowledged; the FBI is also conducting its own investigation.
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Zoe Kleinman, technology and artificial intelligence editor at BBC News, noted that a week ago, no one would have imagined that Huang would leave Nvidia.
“The man who co-founded this phenomenally successful AI chip company, who worked tirelessly to build it from scratch, who guided it through disastrous times with boundless energy and relentless determination, to make it the giant it is today, ultimately fell because of his own love life. »
For Kleinman, "it's an extraordinary story and, oddly enough, somewhat outdated for a forward-looking technology company."
The BBC News editor-in-chief said Colette Kress, who is acting as interim manager, is a familiar figure within the company, which will certainly reassure employees and shareholders.
“She has been with the company for 13 years and, for those who closely follow Nvidia's financial results, she is a regular fixture at earnings presentations. She is a multimillionaire herself. »
However, as Kleinman points out, Colette Kress is not an engineer and her leadership style will be very different from that of Jensen Huang, an extremely demanding leader.
“Moreover, it will have to convince investors that, for Nvidia, everything remains unchanged and that the pace of innovation – for which the company is renowned – will not weaken. »
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