NVIDIA GTC 2026: Live Updates on What's Next in AI

NVIDIA GTC 2026 is set to electrify San Jose, California, from March 16-19, with live updates continuing through March 20. This year's conference promises to be a pivotal event for the AI industry, gathering 30,000 attendees from 190 countries across ten venues. If you're eager to stay on top of the latest in AI, from chips and software to models and applications, GTC 2026 is where the future is being shaped.

The Epicenter of AI Innovation

The highlight of GTC 2026 will undoubtedly be the highly anticipated keynote by NVIDIA founder and CEO Jensen Huang. He'll take the stage on Monday, March 16, at 11 a.m. PT, to deliver insights into the full AI stack. For those unable to attend in person, the keynote will be streamed free online, ensuring everyone has a front-row seat to the future of AI.

Beyond the keynote, the conference boasts an impressive lineup of more than 700 sessions, offering deep dives into topics ranging from physical AI and AI factories to agentic AI and inference. Developers, researchers, and industry leaders will find a wealth of information and opportunities for collaboration. Planning to attend? Don't forget to use the code GTC26-20 for a 20% discount on your registration! For a comprehensive overview of events and activities, check out the official NVIDIA GTC 2026 Blog Post.

Craft Your Own AI Assistant with "Build-a-Claw"

One of the most exciting hands-on experiences at GTC 2026 is the "Build-a-Claw" event. Running from March 16-19 (8 a.m.-6 p.m., excluding Monday's keynote), this interactive workshop allows attendees to customize and deploy their own proactive, always-on AI assistants using OpenClaw, an emerging open-source project. Whether you're a seasoned developer or just curious about AI agents, you can define an agent's personality, grant it access to tools, and deploy it to manage calendars, suggest travel, recommend workouts, or even code an app.

Attendees can leverage onsite cloud compute or their own NVIDIA DGX Spark or GeForce laptops. For those looking to take their AI projects home, NVIDIA DGX Spark and Jetson modules will also be available for purchase directly at the event. This offers a unique chance to get practical experience with agentic AI and understand its vast potential.

Open Models, Frontier AI, and Strategic Partnerships

A key discussion point at GTC will be the evolving landscape of AI models. On Wednesday, March 18, at 12:30 p.m. PT, Jensen Huang will moderate a crucial panel on open models. He'll be joined by Harrison Chase, co-founder and CEO of LangChain, and leaders from prominent organizations like A16Z, AI2, Cursor, and the NVIDIA Thinking Machines Lab. This panel promises to explore where open models stand against frontier closed ones and what these developments mean for the entire AI ecosystem and the builders relying on them.

Beyond this, GTC 2026 features diverse panels, including discussions on AI in climate and energy research with U.S. Department of Energy Undersecretary Dario Gil, and conversations on music and AI with Universal Music Group chairman and CEO Sir Lucian Grainge.

Elevate Your Skills: Training and Certification

GTC 2026 isn't just about listening; it's about learning and growing. The conference provides over 70 hands-on training labs, each running for 1 hour and 45 minutes, covering a wide array of AI and accelerated computing topics. Plus, attendees can take advantage of free onsite certification exams to validate their expertise and boost their professional credentials. This commitment to practical education underscores NVIDIA's dedication to empowering the next generation of AI innovators.

Why GTC 2026 Matters

GTC 2026 is more than just a conference; it's a barometer for the AI industry's direction. The sheer scale, the depth of technical content, the focus on practical applications like OpenClaw, and the critical discussions around open versus closed models all point to a maturing and rapidly accelerating AI landscape. For anyone involved in AI, this event offers unparalleled insights into the hardware, software, and philosophical shifts that will define the coming years. It's a critical opportunity to network, learn from experts, and see firsthand the innovations that will drive the next wave of AI advancements.