Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang expressed his strong desire to expand the AI and robot markets in Japan. “Japan, where promising manufacturing industries are concentrated, can become a country of AI as it is advantageous for the development of AI and robots,” Nvidia said at a press conference after the Nvidia AI Summit held in Tokyo on Wednesday.
“As AI develops, we are entering a new era,” he said in his keynote speech. “AI will help us predict the future.” He also stressed that many Japanese companies are cooperating with Nvidia, promising that “Japan is a very important country for us and will support us to use AI.”
On the same day, SoftBank Group, led by Nvidia and Chairman Son Jeong-ui, announced that it plans to build the most powerful AI supercomputer in Japan and provide various services using Nvidia’s next-generation artificial intelligence chip “Blackwell.”
The AI supercomputer will be based on Nvidia’s “DGX B200,” a server for AI that combines a computer processor and an AI accelerator chip, and will apply a more advanced version of Grace Blackwell for later stages. SoftBank aims to provide new revenue opportunities through AI to telecom operators around the world through the construction of AI supercomputers. “The collaboration with SoftBank will serve as a springboard to lead the AI era in various fields such as telecommunications, transportation, and medical care,” CEO Jens Hwang said in his keynote speech.
Softbank also plans to provide AI services through mobile communication networks using Nvidia equipment. As the existing hardware is based on customized chips designed to maximize mobile data traffic, it is not optimized for new AI services and has decided to improve them.
CEO Jensen Huang said, “AI infrastructure networks will be established throughout Japan. This will transform the existing communication network into an AI network.”
The new radio access network (AI-RAN) is not only better suited for remote robots, autonomous driving support, and other services, but it can also reduce power consumption. SoftBank will work with Japanese companies Fujitsu and IBM’s Red Hat to conduct network tests.
Softbank Chairman also attended the event and gave meaning to the cooperation with Nvidia that Japan, which has often been criticized for being slow to introduce new technologies, is at the peak of change. He stressed, “The development of AI is a big wave and all industries will be affected. We must not miss this opportunity.”
CEO Jensen Huang also promised, “We need infrastructure and we are counting on startups,” adding, “We will support young entrepreneurs.”
EJ SONG
US ASIA JOURNAL
