Nvidia CEO announces initiative to build AI supercomputer for Taiwan

Taipei, May 19 (CNA) Nvidia Corp. CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) announced on Monday a partnership between his company, Taiwan's government, and tech giants Foxconn Hon Hai Technology Group and Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. (TSMC) to build "the first giant AI supercomputer" for Taiwan.

Huang announced the initiative in his keynote speech at the trade show Computex, currently being held in Taipei.

He said it was crucial for Taiwan to have "world-class AI infrastructure" given the number of companies engaged in robotics and AI research here, and noted that the initiative will cater to Taiwan's "AI infrastructure" and "AI ecosystem."

Huang said it will benefit researchers, students, startups, and established companies alike.

In a press release issued Monday, Nvidia said the "AI factory supercomputer" will deliver state-of-the-art Nvidia Blackwell infrastructure to its users, and Foxconn, known as Hon Hai Precision Industry Co. in Taiwan, will provide the AI infrastructure through its subsidiary Big Innovation Company.

"Featuring 10,000 Nvidia Blackwell GPUs, the AI factory will significantly expand AI computing availability and fuel innovation for Taiwan researchers and enterprises," Nvidia said in the statement.

Foxconn will use the AI supercomputer to accelerate automation and efficiency across its three core business pillars -- smart cities, electric vehicles and manufacturing -- hoping to connect industries, citizens and government organizations to accelerate growth with AI, according to Nvidia.

Taiwan's National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) will use the supercomputer to provide AI cloud computing resources to Taiwan's technology ecosystem, which it hopes will accelerate AI development and adoption across sectors, Nvidia said.

Meanwhile, TSMC researchers plan to leverage the system to advance its research and development with "orders-of-magnitude faster performance" compared with previous-generation systems.

The AI factory will help smart city initiatives by optimizing connected transportation systems and other public infrastructure to improve the quality of life for people in Taiwan, Nvidia said in the statement.

Regarding smart electric vehicles, the AI infrastructure will enable advanced driver-assistance systems, improving safety.

Meanwhile, in manufacturing, AI-driven analytics, automation and digital twin technologies will streamline operations and speed up product iteration, it said.

"Our plan is to create an AI-focused industrial ecosystem in southern Taiwan," the press release quoted NSTC head Wu Cheng-Wen (吳誠文) as saying.

"We are focused on investing in innovative research, developing a strong AI industry and encouraging the everyday use of AI tools," Wu added.

"Our ultimate goal is to create a smart AI island filled with smart cities, and we look forward to collaborating with Nvidia and Hon Hai to make this vision a reality," Wu said.