"Just The Beginning": Japan Buys Billions In Nvidia Rubin Chips To Power Humanoid Robots

Japan plans to acquire 27,500 Nvidia Rubin chips as part of a $2.4 billion, government-backed push to develop domestic humanoid robotics models and reduce its dependence on foreign AI. This major effort comes as physical AI comes after data center buildouts, with global shipments of humanoid robots expected to surge next year.

Bloomberg reports that the newly formed Noetra Corp. will oversee the project and build an estimated 140-megawatt data center, scheduled to begin operating in about two years.

Sony, SoftBank, NEC, Fujitsu, and Toyota-backed Preferred Networks are among the top companies supporting the domestic AI push, which seeks to consolidate Japan's fragmented AI programs under one roof.

Noetra plans to release the first AI model tailored for industrial robots in Q1 2027. Japan is positioning itself to capture 30% of the expected $370 billion global robotics market by 2040.

Bloomberg quoted Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang as saying that Japan will require significantly more data centers, power infrastructure, and computing capacity to compete with the US and China, calling the Noetra project "just the beginning."

"We're going to be building a lot more infrastructure here," Jensen said. "This is just the beginning." 

Physical AI is emerging rapidly across humanoid robotics, warehousing, autonomous trucking, construction, and even the home. These robots are being designed, tested, and, in some cases, deployed on factory floors.

via Goldman Sachs

A recent Deutsche Bank report shows that global shipments are poised to surge.

Related:

• Mitsubishi Motors Joins Physical AI Race With Humanoid Robot Production Deal

List of auto companies pursing humanoid robotics development:

We outlined what readers need to understand about this evolving space in a note titled "Current State Of Physical AI: Everything You Need To Know."