Nvidia inks massive Pittsburgh partnership: Everything we know so far about the chipmaker’s first ‘AI Tech Community’

AI giant Nvidia announced a major partnership with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network to boost local manufacturing – with few details on what the orgs expect to come from it. 

The company’s first “Nvidia AI Tech Community” will take place in Pittsburgh, in collaboration with the Pittsburgh Robotics Network (PRN), Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and the University of Pittsburgh (Pitt). It promises to “supercharge” computing and AI efforts for commercializing local robotics, yet how exactly it’ll get there is still up in the air.

“The real news is the joint tech centers with CMU and UPitt, with the PRN as part of it along with the wider ecosystem,” said Amit Goel, head of robotics ecosystems at Nvidia, told Technical.ly.

The initiative will launch two “joint technology centers” in Pittsburgh, at CMU and Pitt, respectively. The business-academia collaboration aims to equip university affiliates with AI technologies to boost innovation in the autonomous systems, robotics and intelligent systems fields. 

At CMU, the focus will be on AI in robotics, while Pitt’s efforts will look at AI across health sciences, like clinical medicine and biomanufacturing. 

Nvidia’s AI Tech Community endeavor also spotlights local startups already in its partnership program. Companies such as Lovelace AI, Skild AI and more will also get access to Nvidia tech as a part of its product development efforts.

“With Nvidia’s collaboration, we are better equipped to support the ecosystem and bring cutting-edge robotics solutions to market faster,” Jennifer Apicella, executive director of PRN, said in a press release.

The company detailed which Nvidia tech will be a part of the effort. For example, CMU and Pitt will have access to Nvidia’s robot learning lab, custom generative AI service and other enterprise software. 

It did not clarify the specific projects it’ll be working on with the Pittsburgh organizations, only the topics of interest. 

PRN, Nvidia, Pitt and CMU did not respond to Technical.ly’s request for comment on financial investment into the partnership, possible product development efforts, specifics on the research project, length of the partnership or what it means for Nvidia’s physical presence in the city. 

The project will “jumpstart meaningful private-public collaborations to further accelerate national generative AI and robotics expertise and innovation,” Goel said in a press release.

Nvidia partnership brightens spotlight on local tech innovation

Nvidia will reveal its full plans next week at the AI Horizons Summit in Bakery Square, according to a press release from the event. Bakery Square, also known as AI Ave, is home to several of the startups mentioned as Nvidia partners.

Still, even some key partners, like Pitt, only offer brief details on their roles in the partnership. 

“We’re just one of several partners,” said Chuck Finder, senior director of media relationships at Pitt. ”It’s independent, I believe, as a non-profit accelerator, stand-alone or whatever.”

In a Nvidia press release, Rob A. Rutenbar, senior vice chancellor for research at the University of Pittsburgh, said that the collaboration will help the school find new ways to turn academic breakthroughs into improved health outcomes.

Nvidia is not the first big company to lean into Pittsburgh to boost its innovation efforts. 

Google, of course, is a classic example of spreading roots in the region — take its sign in Bakery Square, for example — but the city also leans on a heavy network of startups to build up its tech prowess. 

Plus, throughout levels of the government, officials encourage investment. Gov. Josh Shapiro, for example, signed an executive order in 2023 that outlined standards for using AI responsibly as the tech accelerates.  

“We need to lean into innovation and adapt to the changing tech environment while we continue to educate ourselves about new technology,” Shapiro said. “The Nvidia AI Tech Community is an example of how Pennsylvania is working to bring industry leaders together to minimize the risks and maximize the benefits of artificial intelligence.”