NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang announced plans to expand the company's collaboration with SK hynix beyond high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply to include AI supercomputers, central processing units (CPUs), personal computers (PCs), and robotics platforms. This marks a shift from a simple memory procurement relationship to a strategic partnership focused on a multi-year technology roadmap between NVIDIA and SK Group.
On June 8, Huang held a press conference with SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won in the lobby of SK Seorin Building in Jongno, Seoul, where they discussed the direction of their collaboration. Huang stated, "SK hynix has been NVIDIA's largest memory partner and will continue to be our largest memory partner moving forward. Today's announcement is a significant commitment to grow together and expand our market reach."
Huang identified long-term contracts and joint roadmap design as key components of the collaboration. He said, "We will work together to secure long-term contracts and are jointly designing a roadmap that allows NVIDIA's ambitious architecture and SK hynix's memory technology to evolve together."
The scope of collaboration is also significantly broadening. Huang noted, "This week, we announced four new products. The next-generation AI supercomputer, Vera Rubin, will incorporate SK hynix technology, as will our new CPU, Vera." He added, "We also unveiled the RTX Spark PC, which reimagines the PC after 40 years in collaboration with Microsoft, and SK hynix will be part of that as well."
Robotics collaboration was highlighted as a new focus area. Huang remarked, "The era of physical AI and robotics has finally arrived," and confirmed that SK hynix will also be involved in the new robotics processor, Jetson Thor. He emphasized, "We are expanding our partnership from AI supercomputers to CPUs, PCs, and robotics."
Chairman Choi explained that the collaboration between SK hynix and NVIDIA is evolving from a memory partnership to a broader strategic alliance involving SK Group. He stated, "Previously, much of our collaboration was focused on memory, but now we are elevating the level of cooperation to encompass a larger vision involving SK Group and NVIDIA."
Choi summarized the collaboration's direction in two key areas. He said, "One is to build AI factories together with NVIDIA, which will encompass SK hynix fabs and AI data centers as you might envision. The second is to share the R&D roadmap we develop with NVIDIA, allowing us to adapt more quickly to future demands."
Huang expressed high expectations for Korea's AI industry foundation, stating, "Korea is world-class in semiconductor manufacturing, including memory technology, and has a strong presence in heavy industry. Thanks to a deep passion for science and mathematics, Korea has become one of the leading contributors in the field of artificial intelligence."
He also projected that demand for AI infrastructure will continue long-term, saying, "The global build-out of AI infrastructure is just beginning. We will need to continue constructing AI infrastructure for over the next decade. Every country and every company will need AI, and different industries will require different AIs. All these areas will need NVIDIA GPU computing and AI infrastructure."
Chairman Choi emphasized the importance of stability in the AI ecosystem, noting, "In the AI era, not only chips but also energy and water could become scarce. Our goal is to ensure long-term stability for partners and customers participating in the AI ecosystem."
Huang concluded, "AI will undoubtedly become the world's infrastructure, just as the internet did. We need to build significant AI infrastructure in Korea, and we will work together to expand this to Korea and the world."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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