Hugging Face CEO Commits to Open-Source AI Following Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang’s Departure

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Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue vows to continue supporting open-source AI amid concerns triggered by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's exit and Nvidia’s planned $12.9B acquisition of Hugging Face.

The recent departure of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang has sparked uncertainty within the open-source AI community, particularly regarding Nvidia’s ongoing acquisition of Hugging Face, a prominent open-source AI model platform. The deal, announced in September 2026, is valued at $12.9 billion and represents Nvidia’s second-largest acquisition to date.

Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue expressed his disappointment over Huang’s exit, describing it as a "really sad day," but simultaneously affirmed a resolute commitment to advancing open-source AI. On the social platform X (formerly Twitter), Delangue emphasized, "We’ll keep fighting for open-source AI, harder than ever. This is too important to slow down now. Let’s go!" This statement seeks to reassure stakeholders who might be concerned about Nvidia’s future approach to open-source AI without Huang’s leadership.

Jensen Huang had been a vocal supporter of open-source AI and open-weight models, highlighting their significance in broadening access, fostering competition, and enabling innovation in the AI ecosystem. Earlier in 2026, Huang published an AI policy letter—co-signed by notable companies including Microsoft, Meta, IBM, and Hugging Face—urging the U.S. government to avoid excessive restrictions on open-weight AI models. The letter underscored the benefits of such models in enhancing safety, cybersecurity, and sovereignty.

Despite Huang’s departure, Nvidia continues to display a strategic focus on open AI. In August, the company announced a $6 billion investment in Poolside, a coding startup aimed at bolstering the U.S. open AI ecosystem to compete internationally. Additionally, Nvidia has expanded its Nemotron open-weight AI model family with larger and more efficient models suited for enterprise and PC use.

The acquisition of Hugging Face remains under regulatory review, with inquiries by the U.S. Department of Justice regarding competition concerns reported in October 2026. The transaction is expected to conclude in the first half of 2027. As of now, no comments have been made regarding any communications between Hugging Face and Nvidia’s interim CEO, Collette Kress.

With Nvidia’s leadership transition and regulatory scrutiny underway, the future of open-source AI within Nvidia’s portfolio draws significant industry attention. Clément Delangue’s firm stance suggests that Hugging Face will continue championing open models irrespective of corporate changes, maintaining the momentum for accessible and transparent AI development.