"Nvidia and SoftBank Consider Investment in Robotics Firm 'Skilled AI'"

Reuters reported on December 8 (local time) that Nvidia and SoftBank Group are in negotiations to invest in the artificial intelligence (AI) robotics company Skilled AI.

Reuters Yonhap News

According to sources, Nvidia and SoftBank are in talks to participate in a funding round worth over 1 billion dollars. One source noted that the investment negotiations remain fluid and that some details could still change.

Skilled AI is reportedly expected to be valued at around 14 billion dollars. If this investment is finalized, Skilled AI's valuation is projected to nearly triple within just a few months. According to market intelligence firm PitchBook, Skilled AI was previously valued at 4.7 billion dollars during a 500 million dollar Series B funding round earlier this year.

Founded in 2023 by former Meta AI researchers, Skilled AI has focused on developing general-purpose software that serves as the "brain" for robots. Rather than manufacturing its own hardware, the company has concentrated on creating AI models that can be applied to all types of robots. The company explains that it leverages vast amounts of data to teach robots human-like cognitive and decision-making skills.

In July, Skilled AI unveiled its first general-purpose AI model, introducing it as capable of adapting to a wide range of environments and work, from warehouse operations to household chores.

With advances in AI enabling humanoid robots to perform increasingly complex tasks, analysts say investor interest in humanoid robotics companies is surging. However, experts point out that true general-purpose robotic applications remain a technically challenging task and may still take several more years to see widespread adoption.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.