On Tuesday (December 5th) local time, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang announced that NVIDIA will establish an artificial intelligence (AI) research laboratory in Japan and create an AI factory network locally.
Huang met with Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Hiroshige Seko on Tuesday. In his opening speech, he stated that NVIDIA plans to collaborate with research institutions and experts to establish an AI research laboratory in Japan, invest in local startups, and educate the public on using AI.
“We will establish an AI factory network in Japan so that Japan can process social data and create intelligence for society and industries,” said Huang.
Japan previously launched a chip investment plan worth about 2 trillion yen ($13.6 billion), aiming to restore its position as a major semiconductor supplier country and catch up with the development of AI technology.
Seko said, “Generative AI is a groundbreaking project that changes industries, economies, and societies.” He believes it is crucial to cooperate with NVIDIA because Japanese companies need NVIDIA’s graphics processing units (GPUs) to develop their own generative AI.
“I hope to see Japan lead the world in innovation by deepening cooperation with NVIDIA,” added Seko.
NVIDIA dominates the market for AI chips. The company’s stock price has more than doubled this year, surpassing a market value of $1 trillion.
Huang stated that Japan has the capability to build its own AI ecosystem. The country possesses decades of expertise in mechatronics integration, manufacturing industry, and robotics. He further added that Japan can establish its own AI infrastructure by utilizing its data to create its own AI capabilities.
“Generative AI combined with robotics technology can completely transform this industry; therefore time is very important and opportunities are significant,” said Huang.
On Monday, Huang met with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. He promised him that despite high market demand elsewhere, NVIDIA would make every effort to prioritize GPU supply for Japan. He also revealed that NVIDIA plans to collaborate with Japanese companies, including SoftBank, in researching and developing generative AI.