Never mind intellectual work, Foxconn and Nvidia are now in talks to deploy humanoid robots at Foxconn’s new Houston factory to carry out physical work, Reuters has reported. The two companies want to have the robots operational by the first quarter of 2026. This is a big development for both companies; it marks the first time Nvidia products will be made with robot assistance, and the first time Foxconn has used robots in an AI server factory on a production line.
While the development is certainly interesting, and potentially bad for factory workers, we do not know many of the details such as which robots are being planned for use at the factory, what they’ll look like, or how many will be deployed. While Foxconn has trialed robots made by Chinese firm UBTech, the report states that Foxconn is developing its own robots with Nvidia.
The news was told to Reuters via unnamed sources who are not allowed to discuss the matter, so they did so under anonymity. They said that the robots will start work early next year and will contribute to the production of Nvidia’s GB300 AI servers. Foxconn has been training the robots to pick and place objects, insert cables, and do assembly work, but it’s not clear exactly what their role will be on the factory floor and whether jobs will be impacted.
One of the sources that spoke to Reuters said that the Houston factory was the best place to trial the robots because it is more spacious, giving robots more room to move about. Last month, a Foxconn subsidiary, which is in charge of the group’s AI server business, said there were two robots being developed which are expected to be showcased in November.
One of the robots will have legs, while the other will use a wheeled autonomous mobile robot base. Predictably, the latter version will cost less money than the one with legs, but pricing is unknown at this point.
Reuters noted that these two businesses are not the only ones working on robots. It also said that Mercedes-Benz and BMW have been testing robots on production lines and that Tesla is developing its own robots too. China is also getting heavily invested in the sector. Jensen Huang, head of Nvidia, believes that they will be in wide use in manufacturing facilities within five years.
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