Nvidia ramps up AI tech for games, robots and autos

Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang made a rock star appearance at a packed arena late Monday, touting AI chips and software for robots, cars, video games, and more.

After years of being on the sidelines at the annual Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, talk of computer chips was a hot ticket as people queued for hours to fill an arena to hear Huang talk AI.

"When you see application after application that is AI-driven, at the core of it is that machine learning has changed how computing will be done," Jensen said during a one-man presentation on stage.

"There are so many things you can't do without AI."

Jensen's keynote came on the eve of the CES show floor's opening and on a day that Nvidia shares closed at a new record, giving the Silicon Valley company a market valuation of more than $3.6 trillion.

Nvidia's graphics unit processors (GPUs) for powering AI in data centers have been snapped up by Google, Microsoft, Meta, OpenAI, and others racing to be leaders in the technology.

During a lengthy presentation in Michelob Ultra Arena at Mandalay Bay resort, Huang introduced a GPU for ramping up AI capabilities in personal computers, where Nvidia won the loyalty of gamers in the company's early days.

Nvidia touted the new GeForce RTX 50 series, based on Blackwell chip architecture, as its most advanced consumer GPUs for desktop and laptop computers.

"Blackwell, the AI engine, has arrived for PC gamers, developers, and creatives," Huang said.

According to Nvidia, PCs enhanced with RTX chips for AI capabilities will be available from various manufacturers, including Acer, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Razer, and Samsung.

An AI PC displayed during the presentation was priced at $1,299. It was built with the $549 RTX chip, which is the starting point of the new GPU line-up.

According to Nvidia, along with rapid rendering of rich gameplay action, Nvidia AI technology will enable the creation of characters that perceive, plan, and act like human players.

Such autonomous characters are being integrated into games, including "PUBG: Battlegrounds," according to Nvidia.

Huang also introduced a family foundation model that is open to the world and aims to advance "physical AI" by enabling robots to understand and engage in real-world tasks.

Nvidia expanded partnerships and technology for autonomous car capabilities, with Toyota joining its roster of partners.