During the discussion, Huang elaborated on the transformative potential of sovereign AI, noting its role in codifying a nation's identity and common knowledge. Al Olama expressed full support for this vision, citing the UAE's proactive measures in developing large language models and harnessing computational resources.

The UAE's pursuit of technological advancement aligns with its broader strategy to transition into a prominent global technology hub, away from its traditional role as an energy-centric economy. Huang's presence in Dubai marks a crucial juncture in the nation's technological evolution, amidst a series of engagements with global leaders in countries such as Canada, France, India, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore, and Vietnam.

The Middle East stands poised to harness substantial economic benefits from AI, with forecasts indicating a projected $320 billion boost to the regional economy by 2030, as outlined by PwC. This underscores the pivotal role of sovereign AI in shaping the future trajectory of nations in the digital era.

At Monday's summit, Huang urged leaders not to be "mystified" by AI. AI's unprecedented ability to take directions from ordinary humans makes it critical for countries to embrace AI, infusing it with local languages and expertise. In response to Al Olama's question about how he might approach AI if he were the leader of a developing nation, Huang emphasized the importance of building infrastructure. "It's not that costly, it is also not that hard," Huang said. "The first thing that I would do, of course, is I would codify the language, the data of your culture into your own large language model."

And as AI and accelerated computing has developed, NVIDIA GPUs have become a platform for one innovation after another. "NVIDIA GPU is the only platform that's available to everybody on any platform," Huang said. "This ubiquity has not only democratized AI but facilitated a wave of innovation that spans from cloud computing to autonomous systems and beyond.

All of this promises to unleash new kinds of innovations that go beyond what's traditionally been thought of as information technology.

Huang even countered advice offered by many visionaries over the years who urged young people to study computer science in order to compete in the information age. No longer. "In fact, it's almost exactly the opposite," Huang said. "It is our job to create computing technologies that nobody has to program and that the programming language is human: everybody in the world is now a programmer—that is the miracle."

In a move that further underscores the regional momentum behind AI, Moro Hub, a subsidiary of Digital DEWA, the digital arm of the Dubai Electricity and Water Authority, focused on providing cloud services, cybersecurity and smart city solutions, announced Monday it has agreed to build a green data center with NVIDIA.

In addition to the fireside chat, the summit featured panels on smart mobility, sustainable development and more, showcasing the latest in AI advancements. Later in the evening, Huang and Al Olama took the stage at the 'Get Inspired' ecosystem event, organized by the UAE's AI Office, featuring 280 attendees including developers, start-ups, and others.