Cover Chip-maker Nvidia is hoping to become a leader in real-world, AI-powered robotics
Chip-maker Nvidia is hoping to become a leader in real-world, AI-powered robotics
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Nvidia is now leading a new wave: robots that learn, adapt, and work alongside humans. With its vision for “robots building robots,” the company is poised to make science fiction a reality.
For years, artificial intelligence (AI) lived solely in the digital realm, relegated to displays and devices. But that boundary is disappearing as companies develop new ways for AI to interact with the real world. Nvidia, the chip giant powering the AI revolution, is betting that the next big leap forward isn’t just smarter software but real-world robots—machines that think, move and work alongside us. CEO Jensen Huang calls this the “ChatGPT moment for robotics”, referencing the instant in 2022 when AI went mainstream and changed everything.
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At present, Nvidia’s robotics division contributes around US$57 million per quarter—a small fraction of the company’s earnings, but one that is growing fast. Year over year, the segment has grown by 72 percent. When combined with the wider automotive business, annual revenue reaches US$1.69 billion. Robotics may only account for 1.3 percent of Nvidia’s overall revenue, but Huang sees a multitrillion-dollar future—an insight into the bold, restless mind driving this transformation.
This optimism is echoed by Goldman Sachs, which predicts the humanoid robotics market will reach US$38 billion by 2035. Though difficult to imagine today, factors such as ageing populations, potential labour shortages and rapid technological breakthroughs point to a future where robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction but science reality.
Inside the AI-powered multiverse where robots learn human skills
Nvidia is quietly shaping a future where robots learn and adapt as swiftly as humans. This is made possible by powerful AI “brains” and a digital environment where robots can rehearse millions of real-life scenarios before ever entering the physical world. In this virtual multiverse, machines practise everything from pouring tea to navigating crowded spaces, improving with every attempt. By enabling robots to train in countless situations at once, Nvidia is compressing what used to take years into mere hours—bringing the dream of smart, helpful machines closer to reality.
During Huang’s keynote speech at the VivaTech conference in Paris, he introduced Grek, a robot resembling a Star Wars droid, trained to walk and interact with its surroundings within Nvidia’s Omniverse. This virtual environment enables it to understand the laws of physics and thousands of different scenarios.
Above Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang introduced Grek during his keynote speech at VivaTech in Paris
Factories of the future: Nvidia’s vision of robots building robots
Huang’s vision extends beyond individual robots to entire manufacturing ecosystems. He envisions factories as “one gigantic robot orchestrating a whole bunch of robots inside, working with people to build products”. This nested approach—“robots building robots building robots”—is what Nvidia calls “physical AI”.
In Huang’s imagined future, factories will operate like a single, coordinated machine, where people and robots work side by side to create the products of tomorrow. These adaptable systems are designed to keep industries running smoothly as the global workforce shrinks and demand for smarter, faster production grows. With the ability to shift gears and solve new challenges in real time, such factories promise greater resilience and efficiency.
Above This video from the NVidia website showcases the company’s vision for the near future
The tech giant’s reach goes beyond hardware: it is partnering with automakers such as Toyota and Mercedes-Benz to power their next-generation vehicles. Nvidia is also collaborating with Uber to help self-driving cars learn from millions of real-world journeys. Through partnerships like these, the company is laying the groundwork for a future where automation is not only efficient but endlessly adaptable.
Read more: From Nvidia’s droid to agile humanoids: meet the next-gen robots shaping the future
Nvidia’s race to lead the global robotics and AI market
Nvidia maintains a dominant 70 to 95 percent market share in AI accelerators, though competition remains fierce. Rivals such as AMD, Intel, Amazon, Google and Microsoft are developing alternative solutions. However, Nvidia’s CUDA platform remains deeply embedded among developers, creating significant switching costs for companies reliant on its ecosystem.
In response to intensifying competition, Nvidia has accelerated its product roadmap, now planning to upgrade its AI accelerators annually—doubling its previous development pace. This aggressive timeline is designed to help the company maintain its technological edge as others catch up.
As the “ChatGPT moment for robotics” approaches, Nvidia is positioning itself not merely as a chip manufacturer but as the foundational infrastructure for humanity’s next leap forward: an age of intelligent, adaptable machines working alongside humans to reshape manufacturing, transportation and everyday life.
