Hugging Face was launched in 2016 as a chatbot app for teenagers, but it quickly shifted focus during the AI boom and is now the largest repository of open‑source AI models and tools, often described as a GitHub‑like hub for AI developers.

The platform now serves more than 18 million users and about 200 000 companies, and it hosts over 3 million models, 500 000 datasets and 1 million applications.

Huang said the platform will stay open, adding that open‑weight models let startups, businesses, universities and public institutions build on advanced capabilities without having to train every model from scratch. He argued that this openness helps AI develop safely, improves cybersecurity, speeds up innovation and reaches sectors such as factories, hospitals, farms, classrooms and Main Street businesses.

By acquiring Hugging Face, Nvidia further cements its position as a global leader in the AI industry, giving the chip‑maker a stronger strategic foothold in the open‑source AI ecosystem.