In a significant move to accelerate the development of self-driving cars, autonomous machines, and industrial robots, Nvidia and Foxconn have announced their collaboration to construct “AI factories.” These state-of-the-art data centers are designed to provide supercomputing capabilities, transforming vast amounts of data into valuable AI models and information.
Key Takeaways:
- Nvidia and Foxconn are joining forces to establish “AI factories” aimed at speeding up the progress of self-driving vehicles.
- The collaboration was announced during the Hon Hai Tech Day event in Taiwan.
- The AI factory will utilize Nvidia’s GPU computing infrastructure.
- This initiative builds upon a partnership formed in January between the two companies to develop autonomous vehicle platforms.
- Foxconn’s vehicles, produced as a contract manufacturer, will be equipped with Nvidia’s Drive Hyperion 9 platform.
- The AI factories are set to rival Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer.
- Foxconn aims to transition from a manufacturing service company to a platform solutions provider, targeting platforms like Smart EVs, smart cities, and smart manufacturing.
The collaboration was unveiled by Nvidia’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, and Foxconn’s chairman and CEO, Young Liu, during the Hon Hai Tech Day event in Taiwan. The AI factory will be anchored on Nvidia’s GPU computing infrastructure, designed to process and refine data, subsequently converting it into actionable AI models and insights.
Huang elaborated on the vision behind this initiative, stating, “We’re building this entire end-to-end system where on the one hand, you’re building this advanced EV car…with an AI brain inside that allows it to interact with drivers and interact with passengers, as well as autonomously drive, complemented by an AI factory that develops software for this car.”
This announcement builds on a partnership initiated in January between Nvidia and Foxconn to develop platforms for autonomous vehicles. As part of this collaboration, Foxconn committed to becoming a primary supplier of electronic control units (ECUs) for automakers, integrating Nvidia’s Drive Orin system-on-a-chip (SoC). This supercomputing AI platform supports autonomous driving functions. Furthermore, Foxconn pledged to manufacture ECUs with Nvidia’s next-gen Drive Thor SoC, with production commencing in 2025.
Foxconn’s commitment to the AI-driven future is evident in its decision to equip the vehicles it manufactures with Nvidia’s Drive Hyperion 9 platform. This platform encompasses not only the Drive Thor but also an array of sensors, including cameras, radar, lidar, and ultrasonic, all essential for autonomous driving capabilities.
The AI factories, in essence, are poised to compete with Tesla’s Dojo supercomputer. Tesla’s Dojo is designed to train the company’s neural networks, which power and enhance its “full self-driving” (FSD) advanced driver assistance system. While Tesla currently employs a large Nvidia GPU-based supercomputer, the new Dojo will be custom-built using chips designed in-house by Tesla.
The Foxconn-Nvidia AI factories will be grounded on Nvidia’s GH200 Grace Hopper Superchip and AI Enterprise software. Beyond the realm of self-driving cars, these factories have broader applications. Liu, during the Hon Hai tech event, shared Foxconn’s ambition to evolve “from a manufacturing service company to a platform solutions company” by scaling the AI factories across diverse industries. The initial focus will be on platforms like Smart EVs, smart cities, and smart manufacturing.
Huang emphasized the transformative potential of these AI factories, stating, “This is a factory that takes data input and produces intelligence as an output. In the future, every industry, every company will have an AI factory.”
The introduction of AI factories at this juncture is pivotal. As the lines between the real and digital worlds continue to merge, the collaboration between Nvidia and Foxconn signifies a step forward in harnessing the potential of AI for the automotive and broader industrial sectors.
For a deeper dive into this development and to understand its broader implications for the automotive and tech industries, read the full article here.
Conclusion
The collaboration between Nvidia and Foxconn to establish AI factories marks a significant stride in the journey towards a more AI-integrated future. As industries worldwide recognize the transformative potential of AI, tools like Livy.AI play a crucial role in ensuring that AI’s integration is both ethical and beneficial for all stakeholders.