Hugging Face is a major home for open AI models. Nvidia says it will keep the platform open to other chips and clouds, but users and regulators will watch closely.
New to this? Read it in simple words
- Nvidia has agreed to buy Hugging Face, a major AI model website, for $12.93 billion. It announced the deal on September 3.
- Nvidia says more than 18 million people use Hugging Face. No independent auditor has checked this.
- Nvidia already sells most of the powerful chips used for AI. The deal would give it more control over the full AI system.
- Nvidia says users will still be free to choose other chips and clouds. Regulators must approve the deal first.
- Regulator
- A government body that makes and enforces rules for an industry.
- Auditor
- A person or company that checks if numbers and reports are correct.
- Cloud
- Computers in data centers that companies rent over the internet to run software.
What Nvidia plans to buy
Nvidia announced the agreement on September 3. An official US filing lists about $11.9 billion for shareholders and up to $1 billion to keep employees. The companies hope to finish the deal in the first half of 2027, but regulators must approve it first.
Nvidia says more than 18 million people use Hugging Face. The platform holds millions of models, data sets, and apps. These user and content numbers come from Nvidia and have not been checked by an independent auditor.
The 12.93 billion dollar agreement could close in early 2027 after review. NVIDIA says rival models, clouds, and chips will remain supported.
Why an open platform matters
Hugging Face is not built around one model or one cloud. Developers use it with many types of chips and services. Nvidia already sells most of the powerful chips used for AI, so buying the model platform would give it more control over the full AI system.
Nvidia says users will still be free to choose other chips, clouds, and model tools. It also says Nvidia hardware will not be required. This is a clear promise, but users will need to check if search, support, and prices stay fair after the deal.
How people can test the promise
Developers should watch how well Hugging Face supports AMD, Intel, custom chips, and competing clouds. They should also watch model rankings, download rules, and changes to community control. A platform can stay open in name while its everyday choices become less fair.
The deal could give Hugging Face more money and computing power. It could also give Nvidia a strong view of what models developers want. The final result will matter more than the price: users need to feel equally welcome on every supported system.
Sources
Every fact in this story comes from the sources below. Open them to check our work.
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- 3Research · September 3, 2026Nvidia to spend $13 billion on Hugging Face, which will remain an open platform Associated Press
We checked Nvidia’s announcement, its official US filing, and independent reporting from the Associated Press. The price, deal structure, target date, and open-platform promises come from those sources. User and content numbers are clearly described as Nvidia’s figures.