Euisun Chung vows to build open physical AI ecosystem with Nvidia

Hyundai Motor Group is partnering with Nvidia to build an open robotics ecosystem aimed at nurturing physical AI talent and startups in South Korea. The initiative centers on a shared platform where universities, research institutes and companies can develop and validate robot technologies in a standardized environment, with the goal of broadening the foundation of the country's physical AI industry.

Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Euisun Chung made the announcement Friday at the San Francisco AI Summit, held in San Francisco under President Lee Jae Myung. "The results of our collaboration with big tech must serve as a foundation for the growth of South Korea's physical AI industry," Chung said, adding that the group plans to "build an open ecosystem to advance domestic robot and AI technology."

To that end, Hyundai Motor Group and Nvidia will jointly develop a "robot reference platform" — combining the group's advanced robotics technology with Nvidia's software development tools and solutions to create a standard development environment that universities, research institutes and startups can all use.

The robot reference platform will provide research-grade robot models alongside a standardized hardware and software environment. Participating institutions will be able to develop physical AI technologies and validate their performance within a common platform.

The initiative is also expected to lower barriers for domestic research institutions and startups that have struggled to commercialize their ideas and technologies due to the high cost of building robots or a lack of testing facilities. Because the platform eliminates the need for each organization to build its own robots and development environment from the outset, they can move directly to technology development and validation.

Hyundai Motor Group plans to open the platform not only to universities and research institutes but also to companies, aiming to foster joint research between academia and industry. The group's goal is to create a virtuous cycle — from technology development through field validation to commercialization — that raises the competitiveness of South Korea's physical AI industry.

"We will create an environment where academia and industry can freely develop and validate technologies within a standardized hardware and software setting," Chung said.

He added that "within this open ecosystem, world-class physical AI talent will emerge, and in the near future South Korea will establish itself as the hub leading the physical AI industry."

Physical AI refers to technology that enables artificial intelligence to directly control and operate real-world devices and equipment — from vehicles and robots to factories. Hyundai Motor Group envisions expanding its physical AI business by first making its cars and robots more intelligent, then building AI factories, and ultimately connecting entire urban infrastructure systems.

The group points to its world-class manufacturing competitiveness, robotics technology centered on Boston Dynamics, and data accumulated across its manufacturing and logistics operations as key strengths. It plans to accelerate the realization of physical AI by combining those assets with AI technology from global big tech companies including Nvidia and Google.

The robot reference platform developed with Nvidia is expected to serve as the first foundation for extending the group's big tech partnerships into the broader domestic industrial ecosystem. Its significance lies in going beyond simply receiving finished technology — it lays the groundwork for South Korean universities, startups and research institutions to develop physical AI technology themselves and produce the talent to drive it.