Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, delivered a commencement address to over 5,800 Carnegie Mellon University graduates on May 10, 2026, urging them to embrace their role in shaping the future of artificial intelligence and accelerated computing. Huang received an honorary Doctor of Science and Technology degree and shared three decades of lessons from building NVIDIA into the powerhouse underpinning the world's most advanced AI systems.

What Did Jensen Huang Tell Graduates About Their Moment in History?

Huang framed the current era as a pivotal inflection point for an entire generation entering the workforce. He emphasized that graduates are not latecomers to a mature industry but pioneers in a field being born in real time. "You are entering the world at an extraordinary moment. A new industry is being born. A new era of science and discovery is beginning," Huang stated. He stressed that AI will accelerate the expansion of human knowledge and help solve problems once considered beyond reach.

"No generation has entered the world with more powerful tools or greater opportunities than you. We are all standing at the same starting line. This is your moment to help shape what comes next. So run. Don't walk," said Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA.

Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA

The message departed from typical commencement rhetoric by positioning graduates not as inheritors of a finished world but as architects of what comes next. Huang met with a group of Carnegie Mellon students before the ceremony to learn about their research projects and interests, grounding his remarks in the tangible work students are already doing.

How Can Graduates Apply Huang's Vision to Their Careers?

Huang offered concrete guidance for how graduates should approach their professional lives in an era of accelerating technological change. He drew on Carnegie Mellon's institutional motto to frame his advice around commitment and purpose.

• Dedicate yourself with unwavering determination: Huang encouraged graduates to stay committed to their pursuits despite uncertainty, emphasizing that dedication separates those who shape the future from those who react to it.
• Build something worthy of your potential: He urged graduates to create work that honors their education, their capabilities, and the people who supported them before the world took notice.
• Focus on solving humanity's largest problems: Huang highlighted three specific opportunities: closing the technology divide by bringing computing power to billions of people, reindustrializing America and restoring manufacturing capacity, and creating a future more abundant and hopeful than the one they inherited.

"Carnegie Mellon has a motto I love: My heart is in the work. So, put your heart in the work. Build something worthy of your education, your potential, and the people who believed in you long before the world did," Huang explained.

Jensen Huang, Founder and CEO of NVIDIA

Carnegie Mellon President Farnam Jahanian reinforced this vision, praising Huang for advancing a view of technology as a tool for amplifying human creativity and discovery. Jahanian urged graduates to be actors rather than spectators in shaping the future through lifelong learning and open dialogue.

Why Does This Message Matter Beyond the Ceremony?

Huang's address reflects a broader shift in how technology leaders are communicating with the next generation of engineers, researchers, and entrepreneurs. Rather than focusing on AI's risks or limitations, Huang emphasized abundance and opportunity. His framing suggests that the competitive advantage in the coming decade will belong to those who move fastest and think boldest about applying AI to real-world problems.

The ceremony also highlighted the diversity of Carnegie Mellon's graduating class. Simi Olusola-Ajayi, a master's student in Human-Computer Interaction, spoke about discovering her path and navigating "the middle" between who she thought she would be and who she is becoming. Keenan Norton, a newly minted alumnus and Fulbright Scholar with degrees in chemical engineering, environmental and sustainability studies, and Hispanic studies, noted that he is equipped with "the cultural and political humility that will be required of the engineers of the future to fight for good in ways that are meaningful for and considerate of all stakeholders".

Beverly Da Costa, the first recipient of Carnegie Mellon's Bachelor of Science in Robotics degree, met with Huang on the morning of the ceremony. She reflected on how her education baked problem-solving and resourcefulness into every class, from wiring and electronics to code, testing, and learning from failures. "That bakes the memories and lessons into your brain in a way that sticks, especially the mistakes," she said.

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The ceremony recognized four prominent leaders in addition to Huang: Broadway producer and CMU alumna Jamie deRoy, International Poetry Forum founder Samuel Hazo, and Nobel laureate in economic sciences Thomas Sargent. The recognition underscores Carnegie Mellon's commitment to celebrating achievement across disciplines, from technology and science to the arts and humanities.

Huang's message to the Class of 2026 ultimately boils down to a single imperative: the tools are in your hands, the moment is now, and the responsibility to shape what comes next rests with those bold enough to seize it. For graduates entering a world transformed by AI, that clarity of purpose may be the most valuable thing they take away from commencement day.