Nvidia has agreed to buy Hugging Face, the popular open-source AI hub, for $12.9 billion, according to a person with knowledge of the agreement.[415265] The move will put Nvidia in charge of Hugging Face's large repository of open-source AI models, a prized asset in the rapidly growing field of artificial intelligence.[415265] Nvidia has been in talks to acquire Hugging Face for more than $13 billion, but Microsoft also expressed interest in acquiring the company, though talks are not ongoing.[297576] The acquisition is part of Nvidia's efforts to expand its cloud business and protect its chip empire, according to reports.[415265] Hugging Face's open-source AI models have been widely used by developers and researchers, making the acquisition a significant move in the tech industry.[415265]