NVIDIA announced a series of new products and partnerships in the fields of robotics and autonomous vehicles during its presentation at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) 2025 in Las Vegas, confirming the company’s intentions to expand its influence in the field of "physical AI."
The chipmaker, whose market capitalization surpassed $3 trillion due to the growing demand for artificial intelligence hardware, unveiled a series of foundational AI models for humanoid robots, new tools for testing autonomous vehicles, and announced a major partnership with Toyota to develop the next generation of self-driving cars, according to FT.
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who founded the company over 30 years ago as a manufacturer of graphics processors for video games, has become a key figure in the AI revolution that has led to the company’s rapid growth. His presentation drew massive crowds in front of the Mandalay Bay convention center before it even began. Stepping onto the stage in a gleaming version of his signature leather jacket, Huang stated that robotics has reached a technological inflection point that could create "the largest technological industry in history."
NVIDIA’s new efforts are focused on the Cosmos platform, which offers free foundational AI models trained on 20 million hours of video data. These models are designed to simulate the physical world, enabling developers to train robots more effectively. NVIDIA representatives compared these models to large language models, such as those underlying ChatGPT, calling them a similarly important technological breakthrough. The new models integrate with NVIDIA's Omniverse platform, which is used to simulate real-world conditions for autonomous systems.
Huang noted that the widespread deployment of robots will significantly expand the application of AI beyond traditional areas, and NVIDIA aims to be a key player in this process. The company forecasts that the humanoid robot market could reach $38 billion over the next two decades. NVIDIA also introduced a collection of foundational models for humanoid robots called GR00T Blueprint, which the company claims will "significantly accelerate" robot development across various industries.
One of the most important announcements was the contract with Toyota, which will use the NVIDIA Drive AGX platform to create future autonomous vehicles. This deal is a key step in expanding NVIDIA's automotive business, which the company predicts will grow to $6 billion by the 2026 fiscal year. Additionally, autonomous vehicles from Aurora and parts supplier Continental will also use NVIDIA technologies to deploy thousands of autonomous trucks.
NVIDIA's expansion into the realm of physical AI comes amid growing competition from major tech companies like Amazon and Microsoft, who are developing their own chips for data centers. However, analysts believe that NVIDIA's focus on physical AI is a "logical next step" for the company. Experts from Bank of America noted that while the opportunities in physical AI are immense, the main challenge will be ensuring the accessibility and reliability of these technologies.
Despite potential difficulties, NVIDIA's leadership remains optimistic about the company's future in robotics and AI. According to NVIDIA's vice president of simulation and Omniverse technologies, Reva Leberadian, the announcements made at CES represent a turning point for the industry. "This moment will be special. This year, we will see the acceleration of the development of physical AI and robotics," he said.