Jensen Huang says top engineers should be using AI tokens worth around half their salary — and anything less is a warning sign.
The Nvidia CEO said he would be “deeply alarmed” if a $500K engineer used only $5K in tokens, arguing that not leveraging AI is like trying to design chips with paper and pencil. For Huang, heavy AI usage isn’t optional — it’s a core expectation.
He revealed Nvidia is actively trying to spend billions on tokens for its engineering teams, treating AI compute as a productivity multiplier that can amplify output up to 10x.
Huang is also pushing tokens as part of compensation, suggesting engineers could receive AI compute worth roughly 50% of their base salary. In his view, access to tokens is quickly becoming a key recruiting advantage, with candidates increasingly asking how much compute comes with a role.
This shift reflects a broader trend across Silicon Valley. Some investors now see tokens as a “fourth pillar” of compensation alongside salary, bonuses, and equity, as companies compete to give engineers more AI power.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has even floated a more radical idea: a future where people receive a share of AI compute instead of traditional income — something he calls “universal basic compute,” where individuals own a slice of AI-driven productivity.