Nvidia CEO scandal sets off a blitz of AI memes

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Jensen Huang, one of the most powerful figures in the AI industry, resigned from Nvidia on Nov 12.

Jensen Huang, one of the most powerful figures in the AI industry, resigned from Nvidia on Nov 12.

PHOTO: ERIC LEE/NYTIMES

Zane Irwin

  • Jensen Huang’s resignation after cheating scandals sparked a wave of AI-made memes using his image across music videos, films and viral clips.
  • Fans and AI users created the parodies with Nvidia-powered tools, showing how fast generative AI has improved and how easy it is to fake realistic video.
  • The memes mix humour with scandal, but they also raise questions about truth online, as many viewers still ask, “Is this real?”

AI generated

Jensen Huang and his leather-clad likeness had become synonymous with the technological giant he co-founded, Nvidia. They were so entwined that, earlier in 2026, the company sold US$178 (S$230) sweaters with a pixel-art version of Huang on the front.

Now, in the wake of Huang’s resignation on Nov 12 after back-to-back cheating scandals, including an extramarital affair with a woman the US government believes is a Chinese spy, the internet has taken a hold of his image to unleash a flood of memes.

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