Gyeongju: South Korea has the potential to become a global leader in physical artificial intelligence (AI), according to Nvidia Corp.'s Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jensen Huang. At the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit, Huang emphasized South Korea's competitiveness in the AI industry, highlighting the country's strengths in software expertise, technical and scientific capabilities, and advanced manufacturing.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Huang, who is visiting South Korea for the first time in 15 years, expressed that AI has achieved a virtuous cycle, enhancing its penetration into people's lives. This increased usage generates more profit for companies, ultimately leading to the development of better AI. He described this as an extraordinary opportunity for Korea and pointed to physical AI as the next wave of technological evolution.
Physical AI integrates artificial intelligence into physical devices like robotics, machines, and autonomous vehicles. It is anticipated to revolutionize how humans and robots collaborate. Huang noted Korea's significant role in Nvidia's vision for the industry, highlighting the company's plan to expand partnerships with Korean firms.
Nvidia has announced the deployment of up to 260,000 graphic processing units (GPUs) in South Korea. This initiative, in collaboration with the government and major companies such as Samsung Electronics Co., SK Group, Hyundai Motor Group, and Naver Cloud Corp., aims to establish large-scale AI factories in the country. Samsung, SK, and Hyundai Motor will each deploy up to 50,000 GPUs, while Naver Cloud will install around 60,000 units. This expansion will boost South Korea's AI GPU capacity from approximately 65,000 to over 300,000 units, making it one of the world's largest AI computing hubs outside the United States.
Huang concluded by emphasizing the collaborative efforts to advance AI technology, build AI factories, and develop digital twins. The APEC CEO Summit, which concluded after Huang's session, served as the official business gathering for the annual APEC leaders' summit in Gyeongju.