TOKYO - Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang said Thursday his company will help Japan develop a domestic artificial intelligence foundation model by providing advanced AI chips as part of its deeper ties with the country's technology industry.
The U.S. chip giant will work with Noetra Corp., a government-backed company, to build an AI factory that will provide the computing foundation to develop multimodal foundation models for physical AI, technology that enables robots and other devices to operate autonomously.
Noetra, established in January by a consortium of 44 Japanese companies including Sony Group Corp., SoftBank Corp., NEC Corp. and Honda Motor Co., started full-scale operations Thursday, with government financial support of 1 trillion yen ($6 billion) over five years.
Nvidia will provide 27,500 Rubin graphics processing units to operate the AI factory.
"Nvidia is honored to provide the computing systems for Japan's first national AI infrastructure," the CEO said at an event hosted by the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry in Tokyo.
Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is promoting the development of domestic AI as one of 17 sectors deemed critical to economic growth and national security. The industry ministry aims to introduce 10 million AI robots across the country by 2040.
The ministry's AI development initiative, called FRONTia, "aims to combine Japan's strengths in manufacturing and on-site technological expertise with the advanced AI research and development capabilities of domestic and overseas partners," industry minister Ryosei Akazawa said at the event.
Japan will also work with overseas research institutions in the United States, Britain, Germany and other countries under the project.
Nvidia said separately it will expand its partnership with Toyota Motor Corp. and help Fujitsu Ltd. forge partnerships with Japanese robotics makers in the physical artificial intelligence sector.
The AI chipmaker will help the Japanese carmaker develop an AI model to design traffic control systems for Woven City, a city-sized mobility test site in Susono, Shizuoka Prefecture. Toyota uses the site to test everyday life with robotics, AI and self-driving transportation.
Nvidia will also cooperate in developing AI-powered production robots under the expanded partnership. The two companies have already worked together on advanced driver-assistance technology and vehicle operating systems.
Fujitsu, a Japanese information and communications technology company, said it will tie up with Fanuc Corp., Yaskawa Electric Corp. and Kawasaki Heavy Industries Ltd. to develop AI-powered robots for manufacturing, logistics and healthcare services using Nvidia's technology.
The cooperation among the five companies is designed to help address labor shortages and offset the decline in the number of skilled workers.
"My personal hope is that our work together will open a new frontier for robotics and intelligence manufacturing for Japan," said Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at a media briefing in Tokyo.
"Together we're bringing physical AI to mechatronics, and the next industrial revolution will be made also in Japan," Huang said.
