Nvidia cuts GTC online keynote speech

Last week, there was news that Nvidia was switching its GPU Technology Conference (GTC) to an online-only event due to Coronavirus fears, and now it's scaled that back even further.

The event was originally meant to be held in San Jose, California, between March 22nd and March 26th, but Nvidia explained last week that instead "Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang will still deliver a keynote address, which will be available exclusively by livestream."

That's now been cancelled in favour of sharing the news in text rather than streaming fashion, which sounds a lot less exciting for a potentially important keynote speech. Nvidia explained that "the company believes that continuing public health uncertainties would challenge its ability to produce and deliver a digital keynote," which makes us wonder if the company is trying to keep its staff self-isolating at all times right now.

Either way, Nvidia will still be holding an investor call straight after the news announcement on March 24th with the public able to listen in if they want. 

For now, we have no confirmed details on what will be announced but there is plenty of exciting speculation. For one thing, it's expected that Ampere will make its debut. The next-generation GPU architecture is highly likely to revolutionise everything when it comes to new graphics cards, so we're hoping a few details are handed out during the keynote. We wouldn't expect full technical specs just yet though, but a little insight would be welcome.

In the past, GTC has been a curious beast when it comes to announcements, often littered with partnerships, and discussion of research projects, but it's probably about time for a 'proper' announcement regarding Ampere. 

Following the glorified set of press releases and the investor call, GTC will continue digitally with webinars and pre-recorded talks bundled in. It's far from as fancy sounding as actually attending the event but it's a bit of a necessary step for now while the Coronavirus is an understandable concern for many. The conference is only one of many that have had to be postponed or cancelled due to fears surrounding the virus, and it's gradually causing slowdown and stagnation within the industry.

We'll be sure to keep an eye on what comes out of this more unassuming announcement.