NVIDIA announced yesterday an exciting new collaboration with Foxconn, the company that manufactures most iPhones, to build a new generation of AI-powered factories and systems. The partnership will allow the two companies to accelerate the integration of artificial intelligence into manufacturing and industrial processes.
As part of the agreement, Foxconn will leverage NVIDIA’s industry-leading AI computing platforms, including its latest Grace Hopper Superchip and AI Enterprise software, to develop highly advanced manufacturing facilities. These “AI factories” will harness the power of AI and data to optimize workflows, enable autonomous quality control, and drive breakthroughs in productivity.
NVIDIA and Foxconn Will Work on Developing Smart EVs and Intelligent Data Centers
The official press release that revealed this new initiative indicated that efforts will be focused on these key areas:
AI-Powered Data Centers
At the core of the effort, there are plans to build specialized GPU-based data centers tailored for industrial AI workloads. Featuring up to 8 NVIDIA H100 Tensor Core GPUs per node, these systems will provide the massive parallel processing capacity needed for AI model training and inference at scale. The data centers will run the NVIDIA AI Enterprise software stack for managing AI workflows.
Smart Manufacturing Platforms
Foxconn will develop a range of smart manufacturing solutions built by using NVIDIA’s AI technologies. This includes robotic systems powered by NVIDIA’s Isaac platform for autonomous mobile robots, as well as the use of NVIDIA Metropolis for video analytics applications in smart factories. Together, these technologies will enable automation, quality inspection, predictive maintenance, and other intelligent capabilities.
Autonomous Vehicle Systems
For automotive customers, Foxconn will produce electronic control units and autonomous driving platforms powered by NVIDIA DRIVE. This includes DRIVE Hyperion 9, NVIDIA’s newest AV platform featuring the DRIVE Thor system-on-a-chip. Foxconn’s capabilities as a major contract manufacturer will allow automakers to accelerate the deployment of safer AI-enabled vehicles.
Digital Twin Simulation
Foxconn will also leverage NVIDIA’s Omniverse platform to create “digital twin” simulations of factory environments. By replicating processes in a virtual world, engineers can optimize workflows and spot potential issues before deploying systems in the real world. This will enable Foxconn to maximize efficiency gains.
Betting on the Widespread Adoption of Smart Factories
The partnership represents a massive expansion of NVIDIA and Foxconn’s decade-long relationship. With Foxconn’s manufacturing expertise and global footprint, the two companies aim to equip industries worldwide with transformative AI capabilities.
NVIDIA’s founder and CEO Jensen Huang emphasized how the rise of AI is spearheading a new era of intelligent manufacturing. Modern data centers are akin to AI factories, churning out invaluable models rather than physical products.
Meanwhile, Foxconn’s CEO Young Liu echoed this vision, stating that integrating NVIDIA’s technology will allow Foxconn to fully digitalize operations, accelerate R&D, and deliver innovative new AI-powered solutions to customers across sectors.
By collaborating to build AI-powered factories, NVIDIA and Foxconn hope to revolutionize manufacturing in the 21st century. The potential impacts on productivity, quality control, automation, and more could usher in a new industrial age powered by artificial intelligence.
With Foxconn’s ability to manufacture at a massive scale, the partners aim to democratize access to advanced AI infrastructure for companies of all sizes. This will enable organizations everywhere to tap into data and AI to drive digital transformation.
NVIDIA brings its leading accelerated computing platforms and expertise in high-performance AI computing. Foxconn contributes its engineering capabilities, global factory network, and position as a major supplier of consumer electronics and automotive technologies.
Together, the synergies between the two technology giants could accelerate the adoption of AI across industries and will likely be incredibly profitable. From smart cities to electric vehicles to robotics, the companies envision AI positively impacting every sector.
As Huang summarized, “Most importantly, NVIDIA and Foxconn are building these factories together. We will be helping the whole industry move much faster into the new AI era.”
With two influential forces coming together, the future of AI and manufacturing looks brighter than ever. NVIDIA and Foxconn’s partnership represents a pivotal step towards realizing the full potential of artificial intelligence to revolutionize the global industry.