Nvidia CEO's whirlwind tour of South Korea deepens AI ties amid dependency concerns

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang is making an extensive return visit to South Korea, packed with meetings with top business executives, gaming industry figures, and even a ceremonial first pitch at a professional baseball game. This expanded public engagement, compared to his previous visit, signals a strategic effort to integrate Korean companies more deeply into Nvidia's physical artificial intelligence ecosystem.

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Nvidia's platforms are seen as crucial for developing physical AI, a field Huang considers a turning point for AI advancement.

Huang's itinerary includes lunches with Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun and meetings with Krafton Chairman Jang Byung-gyu and NCSoft CEO Kim Taek-jin at a PC bang. He also attended a baseball game and had a 'chimaek' (chicken and beer) gathering with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and other SK executives, revisiting a location from his previous 'kkannbu' (close friend) meeting with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong.

Nvidia's focus on South Korea stems from the country's strategic value in developing physical AI, a field Huang considers a turning point for AI advancement. Nvidia is competing with tech giants like Google and Tesla in this area, offering platforms such as 'Isaac' for robot simulation, 'Omniverse' for digital twins, and 'Cosmos' for robot world understanding. The company sees potential collaborations with Korean firms, which possess strong manufacturing bases and AI capabilities, to gain an edge in physical AI development.

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Nvidia's collaboration with Korean companies could help it gain an edge in physical AI development.

Companies like Hyundai, LG, and Doosan Group are already prioritizing robotics as a future growth engine. Naver Cloud has also showcased its 'Seoul World Model,' utilizing Nvidia's Cosmos model. The gaming industry's expertise in creating realistic virtual environments is also crucial for training robots. However, some industry insiders express concerns that an over-reliance on Nvidia's platforms could lead to a dependency, preventing Korean companies from developing their own independent technologies in the long term.

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There are concerns that over-reliance on Nvidia's platforms could hinder the development of independent Korean technologies.