Hyundai Motor Group will jointly build a "robot reference platform" with Nvidia to accelerate the development of physical artificial intelligence (AI). The move aims to create an open ecosystem that domestic universities, research institutions, and startups can use, laying the foundation for Korea to lead the physical AI industry.
Euisun Chung, Executive Chairman of Hyundai Motor (005380) Group, said at the "San Francisco AI Summit" held in San Francisco on the 24th, "We will jointly build a robot reference platform combining Hyundai Motor Group's advanced robotics technology capabilities with Nvidia's software development, tools, and solutions." He added, "We will create an environment where academia and businesses can freely develop and verify with one another on standardized hardware and software."
"The results of our cooperation with Big Tech must serve as a foundation for the growth of the domestic physical AI industry," Chung said. "Within this open ecosystem, world-class physical AI talent will be cultivated, and in the near future, Korea will establish itself as a hub leading the physical AI industry."
Ahead of the summit, Chung visited Nvidia's headquarters in Santa Clara, California, and met with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang. It was their first meeting in about a month, following Huang's visit to Korea last month. Chung and Huang reportedly discussed robotics and manufacturing AI, as well as cooperation on the "Saemangeum AI Valley." Hyundai Motor Group plans to invest 9 trillion won in the Saemangeum site to build a growth hub encompassing robotics, AI, hydrogen energy, solar power generation, and an AI hydrogen city, and has proposed that Nvidia participate in building the infrastructure.
Chung also unveiled Hyundai Motor Group's vision for physical AI that day. Chung defined it as follows: "The physical AI that Hyundai Motor Group pursues is to realize city-level integrated intelligence, beginning with individual devices such as cars and robots, moving through specific spaces such as AI factories, and reaching the organic connection and operation of entire urban infrastructure." To achieve this, the group plans to combine its manufacturing competitiveness and robotics capabilities with AI technology, software, and algorithm capabilities. In addition to Nvidia, Hyundai Motor Group is pursuing an autonomous driving foundry business with Waymo and a humanoid development business with Google DeepMind.
Hyundai Motor Group also recently established a sub-organization under the Advanced Vehicle Platform (AVP) division, the group's future mobility research organization, in Silicon Valley. The strategy is to build an innovation foundation for physical AI development in Silicon Valley, where the world's top technology, talent, and creativity are concentrated.
Jeremy Ma, executive vice president, has been recruited to head the newly established AVP Silicon Valley. Ma is a technology expert who has built his career in autonomous driving, robotics, vision, and system integration at organizations including NASA, Apple, and Nvidia. The group will also hold the "HMG Tech Talent Forum" in September this year to secure additional talent in AI and future mobility.
"Based on cooperation with the global innovation ecosystem, we will leap forward beyond future mobility to become a company leading the physical AI era," a Hyundai Motor Group official said. "We will continuously create new value to contribute to humanity and future society."
