MediaTek Inc (聯發科) yesterday said it is working with Nvidia Corp — a supplier of chips used to power artificial intelligence (AI) — to deliver in-vehicle cabin solutions for next-generation vehicles as early as 2026.
The announcement came about a month after the Hsinchu-based chip designer launched a new platform, Dimensity Auto, further diversifying its business as it seeks new growth from the rapidly growing auto chip industry.
The Dimensity brand was first used for MediaTek’s 5G mobile chip series.
Photo: CNA
“With this partnership, our collaborative vision is to provide a global one-stop shop for the automotive industry, designing the next generation of intelligent, always-connected vehicles,” MediaTek CEO Rick Tsai (蔡力行) told a media briefing in Taipei.
“Through this special collaboration with Nvidia, we will together be able to offer a truly unique platform for the computer intensive, software-defined vehicle of the future,” he said.
MediaTek expects to create a new product by late 2025 and aims to have automotive solutions available for automakers in 2026 or 2027, Tsai said.
Beyond the auto industry, Tsai said the company plans to collaborate in new areas with Nvidia “as long as it is mutually beneficial.”
There has been speculation that MediaTek was in talks with Nvidia to develop chips for Windows on Arm notebook computers and for its first graphics processing unit (GPU).
“AI and accelerated computing are fueling the transformation of the entire auto industry,” Nvidia founder and CEO Jensen Huang (黃仁勳) said. “The combination of MediaTek’s industry-leading SoC [system on a chip] and Nvidia’s GPU and AI software technologies will enable new user experiences, enhanced safety and new connected services for all vehicle segments, from luxury to mainstream.”
Through this collaboration, MediaTek aims to develop automotive SoCs integrating a new Nvidia GPU chiplet with Nvidia AI and graphics intellectual property. Chiplets are connected with an ultra-fast and coherent chiplet interconnect technology.
MediaTek’s smart cabin solutions are to run Nvidia’s Drive OS, Drive IX, CUDA and TensorRT software technologies — delivering a full range of AI cabin and cockpit functions with cutting-edge graphics, AI, safety and security features.
By tapping Nvidia’s core expertise in AI, cloud, graphics technology and software, and pairing with Nvidia ADAS solutions, MediaTek aims to bolster the capabilities of its comprehensive Dimensity Auto platform, which leverages the company’s expertise in mobile computing, high-speed connectivity and entertainment, and its extensive Android ecosystem, to deliver an all-around smarter in-vehicle experience.
Separately, the Ministry of Economic Affairs yesterday said that Nvidia has launched an AI project, for which the government would offer a NT$6.7 billion subsidy.
As part of the project, Nvidia plans to set up an AI lab in Taiwan and recruit about 1,000 AI researchers to develop cutting-edge technology platforms like the Omniverse technology platform, the ministry said.
The AI lab would collaborate with local universities to foster AI talent, it said.
Nvidia would also be working with Taiwanese companies to develop AI applications based on the its advanced GPU technology, the ministry said.
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