Jensen Huang’s Visit to Korea (Part 2): The Real War of AI

Let's learn more about Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang's visit to South Korea

— The Bright and Dark Sides of Downstream Industries: Automotive, Robotics, and Data Centers — As explored in Part 1, the first battlefield of the AI race was upstream (back-end industries), centered around semiconductors and supply chains. However, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang’s five-day visit to South Korea in early June 2026 signals another massive shift in the tech industry: AI is now stepping out of the virtual world of data centers and entering the physical world. The consecutive meetings with heads of major Korean conglomerates during his visit (the so-called "Samso Meetings," etc.) strongly resemble a strategic consensus to align directions and jointly respond to building a global AI ecosystem. As spectacularly as the technology is advancing, its actual integration into industrial sites has brought "massive real-world resistance and institutional uncertainty" to the surface. The core message piercing through this trend is clear: "AI is entering the downstream phase (front-end application industries) where it drives actual industries, and the real war begins now." Source: NVIDIA Corporation 1. Core Shift: The Emergence of "Physical AI" The most critical keyword defining this visit and recent tech trends is "Physical AI." This refers to the stage where AI perceives, makes decisions, and connects them directly to physical actions . ▶ Past AI vs. Present AI (Conceptual Comparison) Past AI: Operated primarily in digital (virtual) environments, limited to analysis and information generation such as search, recommendations, and Generative AI (text/image creation). Present AI: Expanding into the physical (real) world, executing environment assessment and directly controlling actions in robots, vehicles, and smart factories (intelligent production plants). ▶ Shift in the Value Chain Weight Upstream (Semiconductors \ Infrastructure) → Midstream (AI Models \ Software) → Downstream (Real-world Industrial Application) Moving beyond semiconductor and model development, the core of global competition has shifted to "who can seamlessly implant and apply AI into more real-world industries." 2. Automotive, Robotics, & Data Centers: The Bright and Dark Sides of Korea-Centric Downstream Transition Possessing a robust manufacturing base, advanced IT infrastructure, and cutting-edge semiconductor capabilities, South Korea is evaluated as a crucial partner for NVIDIA's downstream strategy. ① Automotive Industry: The Transition from "Vehicle → Computer → AI Platform" and "Human Resistance" Automobile manufacturing is the sector where Physical AI is being commercialized most rapidly. Structure (Cloud-to-Car Connectivity): DGX (Data Center GPU Instance): Trains massive AI models in large-scale data centers. Omniverse: Creates a Digital Twin—an exact virtual replica of the real world—to pre-verify autonomous driving simulations and safety. DRIVE AGX: An in-vehicle AI chip that assesses road conditions in real-time and controls driving operations. Collaboration with Korean Enterprises: Ongoing discussions target potential partnerships with Hyundai Motor Group and its autonomous driving joint venture, Motional , for Level 4 robotaxis and next-generation mobility. Concurrently, the role of domestic automotive electronics (infotainment/components) suppliers is expected to expand. The overarching goal is transforming traditional manufacturers into "Mobility AI Platform Companies." ※ Real-World Concerns: Vacuums in Safety and Liability: Unlike rapid technological advancements, legal and institutional standards regarding liability during accidents in Level 4+ autonomous driving remain ambiguous. It is a prime example of legislation failing to keep pace with technology. Job Displacement and Social Conflict: The full-scale introduction of robotaxis or autonomous freight trucks directly threatens the livelihoods of taxi and truck drivers. In Korea, intense opposition against Physical AI and workplace automation has already formed around labor unions (e.g., Hyundai Motor Union). This foreshadows severe labor-management conflicts and high social costs during adoption. ② Robotics Industry: "AI’s Next Battlefield" and "Labor Market Shocks" Robotics, a field heavily emphasized by CEO Jensen Huang, is the domain where AI can most intuitively prove its value. Essence of the Change: While past robots relied on "fixed-motion automation" repeating predefined trajectories, modern robotics is evolving into "AI-based adaptive systems" that perceive environmental changes and modify paths autonomously. Industrial Synergy: Comprehensive discussions are underway with Korean corporations possessing robust hardware manufacturing capabilities (such as Doosan and LG ) to link ecosystems across AI-powered factory automation, logistics, and service robotics. ※ Real-World Concerns: Deploying Physical AI into manufacturing and logistics lines maximizes labor productivity but triggers a sharp decline in production-line jobs. In Korea's employment structure, this