Chip supplier Nvidia Corp has called off the in-person portion of its annual user conference that was set to go ahead on 22 to 26 March at the San Jose Convention Center, citing health and safety concerns over the coronavirus.

The company, which supplies chips for video game graphics and artificial intelligence applications, revealed in a blog post that the conference would be hosted online instead.

Chief Executive Jensen Huang will still deliver a keynote address during the conference via livestream, the company said.

(Photo: Nvidia Chief Executive Jensen Huang)

It comes after analysts had predicted Nvidia to announce a new version of its products that use a more advanced chipmaking process, enabling a more powerful device.

Nvidia also stated that attendees who paid for a conference pass would receive a full refund, according to its blog post.