NVIDIA CEO pushes back on DLSS 5 criticism, but users remain unconvinced.
NVIDIA has come under fire after unveiling its newest upscaling technology, DLSS 5, calling it “the most significant breakthrough in computer graphics since the debut of real-time ray tracing in 2018.” However, its showcase featured heavily AI-slop-like image quality and, unsurprisingly, was met with overwhelming criticism.
Across the internet, its AI-slop-style visuals quickly became the subject of ridicule, alongside a wave of legitimate feedback and concerns. However, CEO Jensen Huang is convinced that “they’re completely wrong”.
CEO Jensen Huang responds to DLSS 5 backlash
At the ongoing GTC 2026, the head of NVIDIA responded to Tom’s Hardware regarding the negative reception of DLSS 5. He began by emphasising that “DLSS 5 fuses controllability of the geometry, textures, and everything about the game with generative AI,” something he claimed to have “explained very carefully” beforehand.
The CEO stated that developers still have the freedom to “fine-tune the generative AI” to match their preferences. It “doesn’t change the artistic control” and instead extends generative capabilities to the existing geometry of the game.
Many users online have described it as a “filter” or a “post-processing product”, as it visibly alters the physical appearance of characters in the showcase. However, Huang rejected this characterisation, stating: “It’s not post-processing, it’s not post-processing at the frame level; it’s generative control at the geometry level.”
“All of that is under the control–direct control–of the game developer,” he said. “This is very different from generative AI; it’s content-control generative AI. That’s why we call it neural rendering.”
This response has been widely perceived as a non-answer by online critics. One user on X attempted to summarise NVIDIA’s explanation sarcastically: “Oh, you’re mistaken, this isn’t sh*t as you call it; we’re actually digesting it and putting it through an intestinal system. It’s faecal generation. Faecal generation at the geometric level. That’s why we call it poop.”
Many users believe that “generative AI” and “controlled generative AI” are effectively the same, and that the CEO’s statement did little to soften the wave of criticism directed at DLSS 5. That said, we can expect more DLSS 5 memes to follow, given the community's reaction to its reveal.
