Hugging Face CEO Vows Open-Source AI Fight After Nvidia's $12.9 Billion Deal Loses Jensen Huang
Updated
Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 12
Hugging Face CEO Vows Open-Source AI Fight After Nvidia's $12.9 Billion Deal Loses Jensen Huang
3 articles · Updated · TechCrunch · Nov 12
Summary
Clément Delangue called Jensen Huang’s departure from Nvidia “a really sad day” and said Hugging Face would fight “harder than ever” for open-source AI.
Huang had been one of Big Tech’s strongest backers of open-weight models, raising concern that Nvidia could shift course after agreeing in September to buy Hugging Face for $12.9 billion.
That acquisition already drew U.S. Justice Department inquiries in October over AI competition, even as Nvidia said the platform would preserve open support while gaining control of a major model-distribution channel.
The deal is still set to close in the first half of 2027, with no fresh comment from Nvidia or Hugging Face on its status or on contacts with interim CEO Collette Kress.
Huang’s exit matters beyond the takeover: he had recently pushed open AI through a 25-company policy letter, a $6 billion Poolside deal and new open-weight Nemotron models.