Is Nvidia's chief dreaming of selling us R2-D2-like robots?

It may turn out to be a good bet if the chip-maker keeps its risks low

- Parmy Olson

One of the memorable moments of Nvidia Corp.'s most recent conference for developers came towards the end of the chip giant's semi-annual event. Clad in his ubiquitous leather jacket, CEO Jensen Huang strode onto the stage in front of a large screen displaying a row of humanoid robots straight out of a Philip K. Dick novel. After a beat, something cuter emerged from backstage: two knee-high robots reminiscent of Star Wars' R2-D2 waddled out, emitting beeps and boops.

This is the business Huang has been talking up for much of 2024, what he has framed as the next wave of artificial intelligence (AI). Robots will bring AI that "understands the laws of physics," and how to interpret the world, he told Jim Cramer earlier this year. All factories will be robotic, and they'll be building products that are robotic. "Billions" of humanoid robots will be shipped in the coming years, Huang has said.

Having captured one of the most lucrative markets in recent times for chips that can train and run Generative AI systems, Huang has been talking up three other areas he's now eyeing for growth: autonomous vehicles, quantum computing and, the most plausible contender when it comes to available technology, robots.