Hugging Face CEO vows to keep fighting for open-source AI after Jensen Huang’s exit
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Hugging Face's CEO reassures the open-source community after Jensen Huang's departure from Nvidia, as the $12.9B acquisition awaits regulatory scrutiny.
Hugging Face CEO Clément Delangue reacted Thursday to news of Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's exit, calling it a "really sad day" and vowing to defend open-source AI. In a post on X, Delangue wrote: "This whole thing sucks, and I wish none of it had happened... we'll keep fighting for open-source AI, harder than ever. This is too important to slow down now. Let's go!"
The reaction lands amid a pending deal: Nvidia announced in September it would acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion, its second-largest acquisition ever, behind only its $20 billion purchase of Groq's assets in December 2025. The deal is still slated to close in the first half of 2027. Delangue's post signals that Huang's departure is seen as a potential concern for open-source advocates, with the Hugging Face CEO attempting to offer reassurance to the community.
Huang was regarded as a vocal champion of open-source AI and open-weight models during his time leading Nvidia, raising questions about how the company will approach the space without him. His advocacy went beyond Hugging Face: in July, he published an AI policy letter as his first-ever post on X, signed by 25 companies including Microsoft, Meta, Hugging Face, IBM, and Palantir. The letter urged the U.S. government against over-restricting open-weight models, arguing that such models — which "anyone can download, inspect, modify, and run on their own infrastructure" — make AI "more accessible, adaptable, and widely available." Huang also wrote that open models strengthen safety and cybersecurity, accelerate innovation, expand access to the AI economy, and enable sovereignty while keeping customers from locking into a single provider.
What remains open: whether the DOJ's review delays or restructures the deal, how interim leadership under Kress recalibrates Nvidia's open-weight commitments, and whether Hugging Face can retain the independence that made it a neutral hub for the open-source community — assuming the acquisition closes as planned in 2027.
Key facts
- • Nvidia announced $12.9B acquisition of Hugging Face in September 2026.
- • Deal is Nvidia's second-largest after $20B Groq assets purchase.
- • DOJ began competition inquiries into the deal in October.
- • Deal still scheduled to close in first half of 2027.
- • Huang's July open-weight letter drew signatures from 25 companies.
Why it matters
Builders relying on Hugging Face as a vendor-neutral model hub now face a future under Nvidia ownership, with open-support promises untested against antitrust review. If DOJ scrutiny or leadership changes dilute those commitments, teams may need to diversify distribution channels or self-host models ahead of the 2027 close.
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