Nvidia to acquire Hugging Face for $12.9 billion

Nvidia has reportedly agreed to acquire Hugging Face, a leading open-source AI platform, for approximately $12.9 billion, according to a report from The Information. The deal, which is said to be in its final stages, would mark a significant expansion for the chipmaker into the foundational infrastructure of artificial intelligence development. Neither Nvidia nor Hugging Face has publicly confirmed the agreement, and the transaction could still fall apart.

The reported acquisition would give Nvidia control over one of the most important neutral hubs for AI development. Hugging Face, a New York-based company, hosts millions of public models and datasets used by developers across the industry, regardless of the hardware or software they employ. The platform's Spring 2026 open-source report indicates it has amassed 13 million users and hosts over 2 million public models. This neutrality has been a core part of its value, as it supports models and hardware from various manufacturers, including Nvidia's competitors like AMD and Intel.

The potential deal raises significant questions about the future independence of the platform. Industry observers note that Nvidia ownership could...