Archive · 29 Sep 2026
Nvidia CEO Says AI May Make Basic Math Skills Obsolete
Jensen Huang leads Nvidia, a company that makes technology used for artificial intelligence.
He said children may stop practicing basic math because AI can do many calculations for them.
One study of students in China found that AI helped them finish homework faster, but their test scores later dropped.
Huang said this might not be a big problem because people may learn different skills instead.
He thinks future workers may become better at understanding complicated systems.
Some people disagree and say basic math helps children learn how to think independently.
They worry that relying on AI too much could make people dependent on technology.
Other technology leaders have also discussed using AI as a source of intelligence or allowing it to do more thinking.
The debate is about whether convenience is worth losing some basic skills.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang said children may forget basic math as they increasingly use AI tools.
A study of 26,000 students in China found that AI-assisted homework was faster, but exam scores fell by up to 20% over six months.
Huang argued that skills such as long division and memorized multiplication tables may matter less in an AI-dominated world.
He predicted people could lose some intellectual dexterity while becoming better at understanding large systems and computer networks.
Critics argued that reducing basic math and reasoning skills could make people overly dependent on AI products.
- Who
- Jensen Huang, Nvidia's CEO, discussed AI's effects on students during a conversation with Esra Klein.
- What
- Huang said children may lose basic math skills through AI use, while critics warned of reduced independent thinking and greater dependence on AI.
- When
- The conversation and referenced research were discussed in the article; one cited study tracked students for six months.
- Where
- The cited student study involved 26,000 students in China.
- Why
- Huang believes AI may make routine calculations less important and encourage people to develop broader systems-thinking abilities.
Huang's and AI Advocates' View
Critics' View
Importance of basic math
Huang's and AI Advocates' View
Huang said skills such as long division, calculating square roots, and memorizing multiplication tables may no longer matter as much because AI can handle routine calculations.
Critics' View
Critics argued that basic math supports independent reasoning and that abandoning it could leave people more dependent on AI.
Future human abilities
Huang's and AI Advocates' View
Huang predicted that people could compensate for lost intellectual dexterity by becoming better systems thinkers who understand large systems and computer networks.
Critics' View
Skeptics questioned whether relying on AI would develop new abilities or instead weaken independent thinking.
Convenience versus learning
Huang's and AI Advocates' View
AI can help students complete homework faster and may make routine intellectual tasks easier.
Critics' View
A cited study found that students' exam scores dropped by up to 20% over six months, raising concerns that faster homework may come at the expense of learning.
- Speaker
- Jensen Huang, Nvidia CEO
- Study size
- 26,000 students in China
- Reported academic effect
- Exam scores fell by as much as 20% over six months among students using AI for homework
- Huang's view
- Basic skills such as long division and memorized multiplication may become less important
- Predicted trade-off
- People may lose some fine intellectual dexterity but become better systems thinkers
- Critics' concern
- Reduced math and reasoning practice could increase dependence on AI tools
- Related technology views
- Sam Altman has described intelligence as something people could buy as a utility, while an Anthropic product leader said AI might eventually do people's thinking