[Edaily Reporter Shin Young-bin] Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, stated that #SK Hynix’s plan to expand its memory production capacity is “insufficient.” This implies that as AI demand grows rapidly based on actual profitability, shortages of next-generation memory, such as High Bandwidth Memory (HBM), may persist.

CEO Huang made these remarks during a meeting with reporters following the “Korea AI Ecosystem Reception” held at the Shilla Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 8th, in response to a question asking whether he believed SK Hynix’s plan to double its memory production capacity by 2030 would be sufficient.

He said, “NVIDIA will use all the memory that SK Hynix produces for us as intelligently as possible,” adding, “The AI market is growing, NVIDIA is increasing its market share, and our growth is accelerating.”

CEO Hwang cited the practical utility and profitability of AI as the driving forces behind the expanding demand for AI.

“What the market is missing is that AI is now both useful and profitable,” he explained. “AI is performing software coding very effectively, and companies are paying a premium to use it.”

He further emphasized, “Because AI is profitable, we need to manufacture more AI, and therefore, we need more AI factories.”

At the heart of CEO Huang’s remarks that day was comprehensive collaboration with Korean companies.

He said, “Korea is collaborating with NVIDIA at every level of the AI ecosystem, from energy to chips, infrastructure, robotics, and applications,” adding, “Through this visit to Korea, we have brought significant business opportunities to the country.”

However, regarding the specific details of the contracts, he drew a line, stating, “I cannot disclose them as they are contractual matters.”

The collaboration with SK Hynix was particularly highlighted. CEO Huang said, “NVIDIA and SK Hynix are jointly designing a roadmap for the future,” adding, “We are ensuring that the technologies of both companies are closely integrated.”

CEO Hwang explained that Korean memory technology will play a pivotal role in NVIDIA’s next-generation AI platform. Referring to next-generation AI supercomputers, new CPUs, next-generation PCs, and robotics computers, he said, “These technologies are made possible by Korea’s remarkable memory technology.”

Regarding robotics computers in particular, he noted, “Physical AI—AI that understands the physical world—is a major opportunity for the future,” adding, “SK Hynix’s memory technology will also be used in new processors.”

He also highlighted the AI cloud partnership with Naver (#NAVER) as a major achievement. CEO Huang remarked, “Naver is a world-class cloud company in Korea,” adding, “It is remarkable that Naver has built a world-class cloud service company despite Korea being a country with a relatively small population.”

He continued, “Naver is responsible for Korea’s AI cloud and has ambitions to expand overseas to regions such as Southeast Asia and the Middle East,” adding, “We have announced a very significant partnership with Naver.”

CEO Huang revealed plans to start the AI cloud collaboration with Naver at a scale of 200 MW and expand it to 1 GW.

He said, “We will build a 200MW AI cloud with Naver and subsequently grow it to 1GW,” adding, “This is a massive scale that will likely grow Naver about tenfold.”

Long-term collaborations with #Samsung Electronics, #LG Electronics, and #Hyundai Motor were also mentioned. CEO Hwang said, “We have collaborated with Samsung for a long time, focusing on memory technology, and we have long collaborated with LG in the fields of data center technology, data center architecture, and robotics.”

Regarding Hyundai Motor, he added, “We have long collaborated on autonomous mobility and robotics technologies,” noting that “the outcomes of this visit were not created overnight but are the result of long-standing cooperation.”

CEO Hwang also assessed that South Korea is a country well-positioned for the era of physical AI. He said, “The next wave of AI is physical AI—that is, robotics—which interacts with the physical world,” adding, “In this field, manufacturing, heavy industry, electronics, software, and AI must all come together.”

He continued, “Korea possesses world-class competitiveness in all these areas,” emphasizing that “Korea is in a very unique position in the era of physical AI and robotics.”

He also discussed the role of the government and the importance of AI infrastructure. Describing his meeting with Deputy Prime Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, CEO Hwang said, “AI is the next-generation infrastructure following electricity, the internet, and computing,” adding, “AI factories are an industry that requires massive capital, much like shipyards or semiconductor fabs.”

He continued, “For this industry to grow, it needs energy and capital,” adding, “It is crucial for the government to support companies in building AI infrastructure.”

He also expressed his expectations for the startup ecosystem. CEO Hwang remarked, “Today’s event is a meeting of a kind never seen before,” noting that “not only established conglomerates like Samsung, SK, LG, Hyundai Motor, and Naver, but also many startups, venture capital firms, and investors have gathered here.”

He continued, “The future is shaped by today’s new ideas, and AI startups will create that future,” emphasizing, “We must support Korea’s AI ecosystem.”

CEO Hwang declared, “Now is Korea’s time.” He assessed, “Korea is strong in manufacturing and heavy industry, is a global leader in the electronics sector, and simultaneously possesses software and AI capabilities,” adding, “It is rare to find a country that excels at all of these.”

He continued, “NVIDIA and Korea began our journey together 25 years ago with video games, esports, and PC bangs,” adding, “Now, the time has come for AI and physical AI.”