SoftBank, Sony, Honda spearhead work on Japan AI with Nvidia chips

Tokyo will purchase 27,500 Rubin chips to support development of 'physical AI'

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, third from right, and Japanese Minister of Economy, Trade and Industry Ryosei Akazawa, center, at the July 16 announcement of a Japanese AI consortium. (Photo by Shintaro Ino)

NATSUKI YAMAMOTO and YUSUKE YAGI

TOKYO -- Some 44 Japanese companies began a project Thursday to produce a sovereign artificial intelligence foundation model using their own data, joining forces to protect the competitiveness of the country's manufacturing industry as the U.S. and China expand their lead in frontier AI.