Bloomberg Talks: Nvidia and Nokia CEOs Talk New Partnership and Future of AI
Date: October 28, 2025
Host: Ed Ludlow (Bloomberg)
Guests: Jensen Huang (CEO, Nvidia), Justin Hotard (President & CEO, Nokia)
Location: GTC, Washington, D.C.
Episode Overview
This episode features a high-level conversation on the newly announced $1 billion partnership between Nvidia and Nokia. Jensen Huang (Nvidia) and Justin Hotard (Nokia) discuss the strategic, technological, and geopolitical implications of their alliance, which aims to redefine the future of telecommunications with AI, accelerated computing, and the development of 6G networks—placing the U.S. and its partners at the forefront of global innovation.
Key Discussion Points & Insights
1. The Strategic Importance of the Nvidia-Nokia Partnership
(01:12 - 03:06)
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Nvidia’s Move into Telecom:
- Jensen Huang emphasizes that Nvidia is entering a brand-new market, transitioning from general purpose computing to accelerated computing, with a particular focus on embedding AI into telecommunications infrastructure.
- Quote:
"We announced a brand new platform for a new market we've never been in... If we take advantage of this transition from general purpose computing to accelerated computing, from old types of software to AI... America can win back telecommunications again." — Jensen Huang [01:28]
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National Security & Economic Leadership:
- Huang underscores the role of national security and economic benefit in building America’s tech industry with American technology.
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Nokia’s Perspective:
- Justin Hotard highlights the importance of innovation, and that the U.S. administration has cultivated an environment supporting advanced R&D.
- The future will see a new kind of network purpose-built for AI services, affecting everything from robotics to VR/AR.
2. Why the Partnership Matters Technologically
(03:06 - 05:21)
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Mutual Complementarity:
- Nvidia needs Nokia’s reach: millions of Nokia AirScale base stations globally.
- Rolling out Nvidia-powered AI capabilities to these existing radio networks creates a platform for advanced services like industrial automation, autonomous vehicles, and more.
- Quote:
"If our computers are not inside that base station, doesn't help... we're bringing AI to radio networks... to make wireless tech communications a lot more efficient." — Jensen Huang [03:12]
-
Western Partnership vs. Competitors:
- Nokia sees partnership as a core Western strength compared to monolithic players like Huawei.
- Quote:
"We succeed because we partner aggressively... this is a clear opportunity to partner with the best." — Justin Hotard [04:29]
3. Investment Rationale & Acceleration
(05:48 - 07:37)
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Equity Stake for Deep Alignment:
- Nvidia’s $1 billion investment gives it ~3% of Nokia—a sign of confidence and a way to deeply align interests.
- Quote:
"We wanted to invest in Nokia so that we could be part, you know, of this incredible success that we're creating together." — Jensen Huang [05:55]
"That move was pretty genius, wouldn't you say?" — Jensen Huang [06:11]
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Nokia’s Technological Leap:
- Nokia gains accelerated computing and AI capabilities via Nvidia’s CUDA stack and software.
- Enables a shift towards software-driven, rapid innovation—a move the telecom industry has historically lagged in.
- Quote:
"Now we can innovate much faster... the market recognizes that this is the kind of innovation that this industry has needed." — Justin Hotard [06:28]
-
Speed of Product Cycles:
- Nvidia’s platform roadmap: Blackwell → Rubin → Feynman, “at the speed of light.”
4. The Business Potential and Financial Outlook
(07:37 - 08:27)
- Huang clarifies (with memorable candor) that the $500B projected over five financial quarters refers solely to data center business, excluding China and all new platforms (Drive Hyperion, ARC, Quantum), underscoring Nvidia’s explosive growth trajectory.
- Quote:
"All of that is only data center. Today we announced several new platforms... None of that is included in that half a trillion dollars." — Jensen Huang [08:03]
- Quote:
5. Deployment Timeline and Technical Compatibility
(08:27 - 09:11)
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Demonstrations and Production:
- Demo already live at GTC; customer trials early next year; full commercial production expected in 2027.
- Commitment from both companies to push each other for speed-to-market.
-
Backwards Compatibility:
- ARC platform is backwards compatible with Nokia AirScale, allowing upgrades to millions of existing base stations.
- Quote:
"ARC is backwards compatible with Airscale... all of those millions of base stations could be upgraded to 6G and AI." — Jensen Huang [08:54]
6. Accelerating the 6G Timeline
(09:11 - 09:44)
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Software-Defined Networks:
- 6G timelines are likely accelerated by the partnership, as deployments and upgrades become software-driven rather than hardware-based.
- Quote:
"It'll just be a software model update that we deploy in applications, it's a completely different model than what we're used to." — Justin Hotard [09:11]
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Standards Agility:
- If standards change, updating software is much easier than redesigning chips—promising adaptability.
7. U.S. Policy, Geopolitics & AI “Bubble” Talk
(09:44 - 12:23)
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Role of U.S. Policymakers:
- Huang notes technology’s central role in geopolitics and national security; emphasizes importance of policymakers supporting technological progress.
- Quote:
"Technology is now so important in politics and geopolitics. It is the single most important industry in America... It is our national treasure." — Jensen Huang [10:24]
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AI Bubble?
- Huang is unequivocal: not a bubble. The transition to accelerated computing is real, and AI’s value is tangible and “worth paying for.”
- Quote:
"We're going through a natural transition from an old computing model based on general purpose computing to accelerated computing... AI has now become good enough because of reasoning capability... It's now generating tokens and now generating intelligence that's worth paying for to the point where I'm paying lots of it." — Jensen Huang [11:33]
Notable Quotes
-
Jensen Huang (Nvidia CEO)
- “We have a brand new product line that takes advantage of computing, accelerated computing and AI.” [01:58]
- “Nobody knows telecommunications better than Nokia... the capabilities we bring together in this partnership is quite unique and formidable.” [05:21]
- “All of that is only data center... None of that is included in that half a trillion dollars.” [08:03]
- “If the standards change, Justin and I just upgrade the software, the CUDA software. That's the amazing thing.” [09:36]
- “Technology is now so important in politics and geopolitics... It is our national treasure.” [10:24]
- “AI has now become good enough... generating intelligence that's worth paying for.” [11:33]
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Justin Hotard (Nokia CEO)
- “We want to forge this partnership so that we're building a network, leveraging AI for AI services.” [02:29]
- “We succeed because we partner aggressively. And... that's the advantage—this partnership.” [04:29]
- “Now we can innovate much faster... This industry has a history—3G, better voice networks, 4G, 5G... we need to enable our customers to have different and better technology.” [06:28]
- “You can deploy with ARC and then... it’ll just be a software model update that we deploy in applications. It's a completely different model.” [09:11]
Timeline of Important Segments
- 01:12 — Introduction to the partnership’s strategic context
- 01:28 — Importance of AI, national security, and U.S. technology leadership
- 03:12 — Technical impact: embedding Nvidia AI in Nokia’s global infrastructure
- 04:29 — Competing with Huawei; “partnership as Western strength”
- 05:55 — Reasoning behind Nvidia’s $1B equity investment
- 06:28 — Speed and innovation—why the market is reacting positively
- 07:37 — Clarifying Nvidia’s five-quarter business outlook
- 08:31 — Partnership deployment timeline and technical compatibility
- 09:11 — Software-defined upgrades; accelerating 6G timeline
- 10:24 — Geopolitics: what Nvidia seeks from U.S. policymakers
- 11:33 — “Not a bubble”: AI’s real economic and product value
Memorable Moments
- The candid discussion on the Western model of aggressive partnership versus Huawei's monolithic approach [04:29].
- Huang’s direct assertion that the AI business is not a bubble, emphasizing Nvidia’s willingness to pay for (and believe in) AI’s value [11:33].
- Both CEOs displaying a sense of urgency—“speed of light” innovation—for the partnership’s impact on future telecom.
This episode provides a deep, candid look at how two tech giants are betting on a confluence of AI and next-generation telecom, why speed and software flexibility matter, and how their partnership aims to shape technology, markets, and geopolitics far beyond their own corporate fortunes.