On the ground at Nvidia GTC Berlin: Jensen Huang, robot ducks and neocloud distress

This report is from this week's The Tech Download newsletter. Like what you see? You can subscribe here.Jensen Huang has been busy.Nvidia's GTC in Berlin was the grand finale of a week-and-a-half whistle stop European tour. Huang met with world leaders — including U.K. Prime Minister Andy Burnham, French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz — announced new products and even spent time talking to small robot ducks on stage.The Nvidia chief must be tired. At a media Q&A on Thursday morning, he gave reporters an insight into his mantra. Talking about bringing data centers online faster, Huang said: "Try less sleep, which is what I do."And the trip's not over for Huang. Today, he's in Kazakhstan, touting the country's potential as a major AI hub.Amid all the activity in Germany, I spent two days in Berlin running around meeting with neocloud execs, investors and data center builders and suppliers. Here are the main themes that came up.Jensen Huang, chief executive officer of Nvidia Corp., presents Microduck, made by Pollen Robotics, during the keynote address at the Nvidia GTC in Berlin, Germany, on Wednesday, Oct. 21, 2026. Photographer: Alex Kraus/Bloomb...