NVIDIA's CEO Jensen Huang addressed the pressing global labour shortage during his keynote at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2026, emphasizing the potential role of robots as "AI immigrants." Speaking to an audience of around 130,000 attendees in Las Vegas on January 5, he highlighted the need for advanced artificial intelligence to be industrialized for widespread use.
Huang described the rise of "physical AI," which enables systems to engage with the tangible world, showcasing the new NVIDIA Cosmos 2 models designed to interpret real-world data. He noted that the current workforce shortage stands in the "tens of millions," a situation exacerbated by population decline, and stressed that robots could address gaps in industries where human workers are less available.
During a Q&A session, Huang argued that instead of eliminating jobs, AI and robotics could create new employment opportunities, driving economic growth. He asserted that many roles will remain untouched by automation for some time, aligning his views with those of other tech leaders who cite demographic shifts as catalysts for increased automation.