FoxconnandNvidiaThe two companies announced a major partnership to build “AI factories” that will serve as powerful data processing centers to drive the manufacturing of next-generation products, especially in emerging areas such as electric vehicles.
As a globalmaximumFoxconn (formally known as Hon Hai Technology Group), a contract electronics manufacturer, has been supplying the world's largest smartphones, including Apple's iPhone.TopHowever, Foxconn has a broader business vision that goes beyond electronics assembly and into the competitive but rapidly expanding electric vehicle industry, having showcased concept cars at Hon Hai Technology Day in the past few years.
Silicon Valley-based Nvidia is best known for developing graphics processing units (GPUs), powerful chip technology that originally underpinned modern video games but has now become a key pillar of the rapid development of generative artificial intelligence.
Foxconn said: "Together, we will help the entire industry enter the new era of artificial intelligence faster." According to Nvidia, these "factories" will include "digitalization of manufacturing and inspection workflows, development of AI-based electric vehicles and robotics platforms, and more and more language-based generative AI services."
Huang said Foxconn “has the expertise and scale needed to build AI factories around the world.” If successful, Foxconn’s customers could use the systems to provide generative AI services and use simulations to train autonomous machines like industrial robots and self-driving cars.