Nvidia's Huang: AI Robotics Presents Once-in-a-Generation Opportunity for Europe - NVDA

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said Wednesday (January 21, 2026) at the World Economic Forum in Davos that AI robotics represents a once-in-a-generation opportunity for Europe, leveraging its strong industrial manufacturing base. Huang emphasized that integrating Europe’s traditional industrial capabilities with AI could usher in the era of "physical AI" and robotics, allowing the region to lead a new industrial revolution beyond the U.S.-dominated software era. Major European firms including Siemens, Mercedes-Benz, Volvo, and Schaeffler have launched robotics initiatives, while tech giants like Tesla, Google DeepMind, and Nvidia—partnering with Alphabet—are advancing physical AI development. Dealroom data shows robotics funding hit a record $26.5 billion in 2025, part of over $1 trillion in global venture investment, mostly flowing into AI-native companies. However, Huang warned Europe must address high energy costs, citing Microsoft CEO Satya Nadella, to sustain AI infrastructure growth. He called the current AI-driven build-out “the largest infrastructure boom in human history,” requiring hundreds of billions now and trillions more, calling it a structural shift—not a bubble.