Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang urges students to master AI prompting for future career success

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's Advice to Students: How to Use AI for Career Success

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, offers simple yet powerful guidance for students aiming to prepare for the future. His core message is straightforward: learn how to use artificial intelligence effectively. Huang highlights the importance of engaging with AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini Pro, and Grok, emphasizing that knowing how to interact with these technologies is a key skill across all career paths.

According to Huang, interacting with AI is similar to mastering the art of asking good questions. He explains, “Learning how to interact with AI is not unlike being someone who’s really good at asking questions.” He points out that effective AI prompting requires skill and thoughtfulness; it’s not about throwing random questions at the system but about crafting clear, specific requests that get useful responses.

Why Prompting AI Well Matters

Huang uses a simple analogy: an entrepreneur asking a vague question about their business will get a vague answer, while a specific query yields valuable insights. The same principle applies to AI. Kelly Daniel, prompt director at Lazarus AI, supports this view by suggesting users approach AI chatbots like interacting with a child—clear and structured communication produces better results.

The timing of Huang’s advice is critical. A 2024 report from Harvard Graduate School of Education, Common Sense Media, and Hopelab reveals that only 11% of Americans aged 14 to 22 use generative AI tools regularly. This low adoption contrasts sharply with LinkedIn’s 2025 Work Change report, which predicts that 70% of job skills will be affected by AI by 2030.

For educators and those supporting students, this gap highlights an urgent need to integrate AI skills into learning. The ability to craft effective AI prompts and ask better questions is becoming a fundamental competency, no matter the subject or career path.

AI Skills Are for Everyone

Huang stresses that AI skills are relevant regardless of the discipline. Whether a student is studying math, science, biology, or any other field, the question should be: “How can I use AI to perform my job better?” This mindset encourages students to see AI as a tool that enhances productivity and helps solve problems more efficiently.

For those interested in building AI skills, many resources and courses are available that focus on prompt engineering and practical AI tool use. Exploring such courses can provide a strong foundation for students and professionals alike. For example, Complete AI Training offers courses on prompt engineering that help learners develop these essential skills.

Don’t Fear Failure

Huang also shares an important lesson about failure. Having led Nvidia for over 30 years, growing it into a $2.2 trillion company, he openly acknowledges experiencing significant failures along the way. In a 2023 commencement speech at National Taiwan University, he told graduates that failures are part of the journey and should not be feared.

This perspective is crucial for educators guiding students through their academic and professional development. Encouraging resilience and a learning mindset around failure can empower students to take on challenges with confidence, especially as they experiment with new technologies like AI.

Takeaway for Educators

• Encourage students to learn and practice interacting with AI tools regularly.
• Teach the skill of crafting clear, specific prompts to get better AI results.
• Highlight the universal applicability of AI skills across different subjects and careers.
• Promote a healthy attitude toward failure as part of the learning process.

Developing these competencies will help students stay relevant and competitive in a job market increasingly influenced by AI. As educators, supporting this shift can make a significant difference in student outcomes and career readiness.