Nvidia Secretary Jensen Huang said AI robotics is a “once in a generation” opportunity for Europe, as the region has an “incredibly strong” industrial production base.
“We will be able to merge industrial and manufacturing capabilities with artificial intelligence, and that will allow us to enter the world of physical AI, or robotics,” he said in a speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos on Wednesday.
This presents an opportunity to “leapfrog” the software era, which has been dominated by the United States, he added.
The rise of AI robotics
Recent advances in AI promise more capabilities, and the focus across the industrial and technology sectors is increasingly turning to autonomous robots.
European industrial and manufacturing giants including: siemens, mercedes benz group, volvo and Schaefflerhas announced robotic projects and partnerships with robotic technology companies over the past year.
Big tech companies are also doubling down on this space. tesla CEO Elon Musk said in September that 80% of the company’s value would come from Optimus’ humanoid robot. Google AI arm DeepMind released an AI model for robotics in 2025, and Nvidia announced a partnership with Alphabet to work on physical AI in March.
Tech investors are taking note. Companies developing robotics raised a record $26.5 billion in 2025, according to deal aggregation platform Dealroom.
take energy seriously
To take advantage of the AI opportunity, Huang said Europe needs to “get serious” about its energy supply so it can invest in the infrastructure layer.
This region has some of the highest energy costs in the world. Microsoft chief Satya Nadella told the WEF on Tuesday that energy costs will be a key factor in determining how successful countries are in the AI race.
“I think it’s pretty certain that in order to build a rich ecosystem of artificial intelligence here in Europe, we need to get serious about increasing our energy supply so that we can invest in the infrastructure layer,” Huang said.
Europe is grappling with limited access to energy as hyperscalers seek to deploy AI infrastructure across the region.
Huang said the rapid ramp-up shows no signs of slowing down. He told the WEF audience that AI has begun “the largest infrastructure build-out in human history.”
“We’re spending hundreds of billions of dollars right now. We need to build trillions of dollars of infrastructure.”
