South Korea's Big Tech Teams Up with Nvidia for AI Boom

South Korea is making a big move in the world of artificial intelligence. Nvidia, a major player in AI technology, is teaming up with some of South Korea's biggest tech companies. This includes Hyundai, Samsung, SK Group, and Naver. The goal? To boost South Korea's AI capabilities and infrastructure. Nvidia's CEO, Jensen Huang, visited South Korea after 15 years to announce these new plans. The South Korean government is also involved, aiming to enhance the country's AI infrastructure and physical AI capabilities. This is part of a bigger trend where AI is being integrated into various industries. South Korea will get over 260, 000 of Nvidia's latest GPUs. These powerful processors are needed to meet the growing demand for AI. Around 50, 000 of these GPUs will be used for public initiatives, like developing AI foundation models and setting up a national AI data center. The rest will go to companies like Samsung, SK Group, Hyundai, and Naver. These companies will use the GPUs to drive innovation in manufacturing and develop industry-specific AI models. Samsung and Nvidia have been partners for over 25 years. Now, they are working together on something called HBM4, a next-generation memory designed for future AI applications. Samsung is also building an AI Megafactory with Nvidia. This factory will use AI in every stage of manufacturing, from semiconductors to mobile devices and robotics. It will be an intelligent network that can analyze, predict, and optimize production in real time. Nvidia is also working with Samsung and three Korean telecom operators to develop AI-RAN. This technology combines mobile base stations with AI to boost performance and cut battery use. The goal is to create next-generation AI-RAN and a global testbed. Hyundai and Nvidia are joining forces to build AI infrastructure and advance technologies in physical AI. They will focus on autonomous mobility, smart factories, and robotics. Hyundai will use 50, 000 NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs for integrated AI model training, validation, and deployment. They will also establish AI research centers in South Korea to strengthen the country's physical AI industry. SK Group, parent of SK Hynix, is partnering with Nvidia to build Asia's first enterprise-led manufacturing AI cloud. This cloud will leverage Nvidia's simulation and digital twin platforms. It will be open to the government, public institutions, and domestic startups. Naver Cloud, the cloud arm of Korean search engine Naver, is collaborating with NVIDIA to develop a next-generation “Physical AI” platform. This platform will connect the physical and digital worlds. Naver Cloud intends to deploy AI infrastructure across key industries, including semiconductors, shipbuilding, energy, and biotechnology. The goal is to accelerate the adoption of AI solutions optimized for real-world industrial environments. These partnerships highlight a broader trend: the fusion of AI and hardware across industries. Global tech leaders are joining forces to shape the next generation of intelligent systems. This is not just about technology; it's about changing how industries operate and how we live our lives.