Korean Startup's AI Chips Help Robots Learn Like Humans

Robots are about to get a major brain upgrade, and they won't overheat doing it.

DEEPX, a South Korean AI chip startup founded by former Apple engineer Lokwon Kim, just expanded its partnership with Hyundai Motor Group to build robots powered by generative AI. Think ChatGPT, but for machines that move and work in the real world.

The secret is in the chips. DEEPX creates neural processing units that let robots think on their own without needing constant internet connection. Their current chips already power Hyundai's four-wheeled delivery robots rolling around today.

But the second-generation DX-M2 chips coming next year take things further. They'll enable robots to learn from their experiences, adapting and improving over time just like AI language models do with text.

Here's the breakthrough: these chips use 20 times less power than competing technology from Nvidia. That matters enormously for humanoid robots, which Kim says would otherwise overheat from all the computing power they need.

Samsung Electronics will manufacture the new chips using their most advanced 2-nanometer technology. Volume production starts later next year.

Hyundai unveiled its Atlas humanoid robot in January and plans to operate a factory producing 30,000 robot units annually by 2028. The company sees DEEPX as part of building a homegrown ecosystem of computing partners in South Korea and beyond.

DEEPX is raising over $408 million from government and private investors ahead of a potential IPO in South Korea. The company, which only began producing chips late last year, expects $40 million in revenue this year and counts Chinese tech giant Baidu among its customers.

The Ripple Effect

South Korea is making a serious play to become an AI leader, and startups like DEEPX show how that ambition is creating real innovation. When countries invest in nurturing tech champions, the results can reshape entire industries.

The combination of energy efficiency and on-device intelligence could unlock humanoid robots for factories, homes, and public spaces where overheating or constant connectivity would be dealbreakers. Cheaper, smarter chips mean more accessible robotics.

A future where robots learn and adapt alongside us is moving from science fiction to factory floor.