Hyundai’s Chung Says Big Tech Partnerships Can Build Physical AI Ecosystem, Meets Nvidia CEO Huang

Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Chung Euisun attended the San Francisco AI Summit in San Francisco on July 24 and unveiled plans to advance physical AI technology. He aims to transform the group into a leader in future mobility areas including autonomous driving and robotics.

Hyundai Motor Group can create a new innovation ecosystem for the physical AI era by combining its manufacturing capabilities and robotics technology with partnerships with big tech companies, Chung said at the event. He added that the group will jointly build a robot reference platform with Nvidia.

Chung cited the group’s world-class manufacturing competitiveness, robotics capabilities and data-use system as key strengths. Hyundai Motor Group plans to deploy Boston Dynamics’ humanoid robot Atlas in phases at Hyundai Motor Group Metaplant America and Kia’s Georgia plant while accumulating field data. It also plans to establish a data flywheel system that uses data collected on site to strengthen its AI technology and then applies those advances back to operations.

Hyundai Motor Group also plans to expand cooperation with big tech companies including Nvidia, Waymo and DeepMind. The group earlier signed a deal with Nvidia to purchase 50,000 Blackwell graphics processing units and agreed to establish a Robot Application Center and an Nvidia AI Technology Center in South Korea.

The group will continue domestic investment as well. Hyundai Motor Group plans to build an AI data center, a robot manufacturing cluster, a water electrolysis plant and an AI hydrogen city in Saemangeum in North Jeolla Province. In the Yeongnam region, it plans to invest 42 trillion won, or about $30.4 billion, over 10 years to establish an AI-based manufacturing hub and advanced industrial bases for aviation and space.

Hyundai Motor Group has leading robotics capabilities centered on Boston Dynamics and is accelerating the development of future physical AI with global big tech companies including Nvidia and Google, Chung said.

Separately, Chung, Samsung Electronics Chairman Jay Y. Lee, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Naver board Chair Lee Hae-jin visited Nvidia’s headquarters in Silicon Valley on July 24 and met Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang.

Jeong Sang-won, Hankyung.com reporter top1@hankyung.com