NVIDIA to deploy 260,000 GPUs in South Korea, says AI needs accelerated compute
NVIDIA is about to send roughly 260,000 GPUs to South Korea, a move that seems to echo the country’s effort to take AI out of the lab and into real-world use. At the same time, the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) has said it will fund sovereign AI projects, which looks like a clear nod toward building a home-grown compute backbone. Some analysts think that flooding the market with that many accelerated chips could tip AI development toward places that already have strong manufacturing bases.
It’s still unclear how fast this hardware will turn into usable solutions in fields like automotive, chip design or smart factories. Jensen Huang, NVIDIA’s CEO, summed up the vibe of the partnership:
“Korea's leadership in technology and manufacturing positions it at the heart of the AI industrial revolution, where accelerated computing infrastructure becomes as vital as power grids and broadband.”
NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang said, "Korea's leadership in technology and manufacturing positions it at the heart of the AI industrial revolution, where accelerated computing infrastructure becomes as vital as power grids and broadband." The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) will invest in sovereign AI infrastructure, initially deploying 50,000 GPUs through national providers NHN Cloud, Kakao Corp., and NAVER Cloud. According to Bae Kyung-hoon, South Korea's deputy Prime Minister and minister of science and ICT, "Expanding our national AI infrastructure and developing technologies with NVIDIA is an investment that will reinforce South Korea's strengths, including its manufacturing capabilities." Collaboration on AI Factories Samsung Electronics will build a semiconductor AI factory powered by 50,000 NVIDIA GPUs to enhance chip design, robotics and smart manufacturing.
Will 260,000 GPUs really reshape South Korea's AI game? The APEC-unveiled plan teams NVIDIA with Samsung, Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group and NAVER Cloud to drape the country in extra compute power. Jensen Huang compares the rollout to power grids and broadband, hinting it could become as routine as electricity.
Still, the Ministry of Science and ICT hasn't disclosed how much money is behind the sovereign AI fund, and we haven't seen any rollout schedule. They say the boost will hit manufacturing and other sectors, but no concrete roadmaps have surfaced yet. Plugging that many chips into existing data centers will probably hit logistics and compatibility snags.
If the partners can sync on standards and supply chains, the hardware alone might lay a base for richer AI services. On the flip side, without clear governance or performance targets, sheer scale may not turn into measurable results. So the announcement feels ambitious, but the real impact is still up in the air.
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Common Questions Answered
How many GPUs is NVIDIA planning to ship to South Korea, and what is the significance of this number?
NVIDIA is set to ship 260,000 GPUs to South Korea, a volume that could dramatically expand the nation’s accelerated compute capacity beyond research labs and position it as a major hub for AI development.
Which South Korean entities will initially receive the first batch of GPUs, and how many units are allocated to them?
The Ministry of Science and ICT will initially deploy 50,000 GPUs through national cloud providers NHN Cloud, Kakao Corp., and NAVER Cloud, distributing the hardware to build a sovereign AI infrastructure.
What role does Jensen Huang attribute to accelerated computing infrastructure in South Korea’s AI future?
Jensen Huang likens accelerated computing infrastructure to essential utilities such as power grids and broadband, stating that Korea’s leadership in technology and manufacturing places it at the heart of the AI industrial revolution.
At which event was the GPU deployment plan announced, and which major Korean corporations are partnering with NVIDIA in this initiative?
The plan was unveiled at the APEC Summit, and NVIDIA is partnering with major Korean firms including Samsung, Hyundai Motor Group, SK Group, and NAVER Cloud to blanket the nation with accelerated compute resources.