The Japanese government is set to acquire a large number of NVIDIA's advanced graphics processing units (GPUs) to develop manufacturing-focused 'physical AI.'
According to a report by Yonhap News, citing the Nihon Keizai Shimbun, Japan's Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry announced plans to procure approximately 27,500 units of NVIDIA's cutting-edge AI semiconductor, 'Rubin,' during a visit by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang.
The Nikkei reported that this procurement is the largest of its kind at a national level globally. In comparison, South Korea has secured 260,000 advanced GPUs from NVIDIA, known to be the previous model, Blackwell.
The Japanese government plans to utilize the acquired GPUs in the development of the sovereign AI project 'Noetra,' which involves 44 companies, including SoftBank Group, NEC, Honda, and Sony Group.
A total of 387.3 billion yen (approximately $3.7 billion) will be invested in the Noetra project this year, with a total of 1 trillion yen (about $9.5 billion) allocated over the next five years.
A large data center equipped with NVIDIA GPUs will be established on the site of the former Sharp factory in Sakai City, Osaka Prefecture. The developed Noetra will be distributed to Japanese companies for application in manufacturing sites.
The Japanese government is focusing on specialized areas in the industrial sector, such as industrial robots and robotics, utilizing manufacturing data instead of general-purpose AI models.
A research organization involving 13 institutions, including Tokyo University of Science, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Oxford, will also be established. This organization will research five areas, including image and video generation and human-robot collaboration.
NVIDIA will collaborate with Fujitsu, Fanuc, Yaskawa Electric, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries to commercialize physical AI in manufacturing, distribution, and healthcare sectors.
NVIDIA will provide semiconductor technology for AI agents and robotics, while Fujitsu will handle the physical AI operating system (OS).
CEO Huang stated, "Currently, robots operate in specific fields, but there are limitations in applying them across various manufacturing sites. To develop robotics technology that can be utilized in multiple small manufacturing environments, collaboration with Japan's manufacturing sector is essential."
NVIDIA plans to jointly develop automotive manufacturing robots with Toyota and expand AI and robotics technology collaboration with Honda, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Hitachi.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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