Apple’s top manufacturing partner, Foxconn, is taking a bold leap into the age of AI automation, and it’s doing so with humanoid robots powered by Nvidia’s AI technology.
Within the next six months, the Taiwanese manufacturing giant plans to introduce bipedal, human-shaped robots on its factory floors, a move that could redefine the future of industrial work. The robots will first appear in Foxconn’s U.S. facilities, including the new AI server factory in Houston, Texas, where they’ll assemble Nvidia hardware designed to fuel the next generation of AI computing.
Nvidia AI Meets Foxconn’s Factories
Foxconn’s CEO and chairman, Young Liu, confirmed to Nikkei that humanoid robots will join the company’s production lines “within six months or so,” helping accelerate server manufacturing.
The plan builds on Foxconn’s collaboration with Nvidia to create what both companies describe as a “world-leading AI smart factory”, designed to showcase autonomous production at scale. The facility will deploy robots powered by Nvidia’s Isaac GR00T N platform, a robotics foundation model that enables machines to move and make decisions independently in dynamic environments.
While the company has not revealed how many robots it plans to deploy or what specific roles they will take on, it marks the first time in Foxconn’s five-decade history that humanoid robots will work alongside human employees on assembly lines.
A Shift in the Manufacturing Playbook
Foxconn, officially Hon Hai Precision Industry, builds products for the biggest names in technology, including Apple, Microsoft, Google, Sony, and Nvidia. With plants in Texas, California, and Wisconsin, and plans to expand into Ohio, Foxconn’s move into AI-driven automation signals a wider transformation across its global operations.
Liu predicted that generative AI and robotics would “destroy low-end manufacturing jobs” as automation replaces traditional labor. Historically, he said, industries have relied on outsourcing and low-wage labor to cut costs, but those strategies are losing ground to advanced AI-driven systems.
Opportunity or Threat?
The news is a double-edged sword for the U.S., where policymakers have pushed for domestic manufacturing and “reshoring” of jobs. Foxconn’s new AI-powered facilities in Texas may help realize that goal, but if robots replace workers, the social and economic outcomes could be complicated.
While Nvidia and Foxconn call this a step toward “next-generation smart manufacturing,” skeptics question whether humanoid robots are the most efficient choice. Traditional industrial robots are faster and more specialized, while humanoid machines are still expensive and mechanically complex.
Still, the symbolism is powerful: the world’s biggest contract manufacturer and the world’s most valuable AI company are joining forces to bring humanoid robots into real-world production. If Foxconn succeeds, this may mark the moment when science fiction’s factory of the future finally becomes real.
