[News] TSMC Reportedly Eyes 10-Year Boom from Humanoids, Backed by NVIDIA Jetson and Tesla’s Chips

At the June 25 shareholders meeting, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang highlighted AI and robotics as the company’s biggest growth opportunities, with both markets holding multi-trillion-dollar potential, according to CNBC.

Echoing his outlook, Commercial Times reports that NVIDIA’s Jetson and Tesla’s Hardware series are among the leading chips powering AI-driven robots. The rapid rise of humanoid robotics, the report adds, is expected to become a major growth engine for TSMC between 2030 and 2040.

In early June, TSMC Chairperson C.C. Wei confirmed that demand for chips used in humanoid robots is growing rapidly. As per the Economic Daily News, TSMC projects that by 2030, 1.3 billion AI robots will be deployed, creating a market worth $35 billion. This number is expected to surge to 4 billion by 2050, including 650 million humanoid robots, the report adds.

According to Commercial Times, supply chain sources reveal that NVIDIA’s Jetson Thor chip—which features the Blackwell architecture and delivers up to 300 TOPS of AI power—is likely built on TSMC’s 4nm process. At the GTC conference, NVIDIA announced Jetson Thor, central to its growing humanoid robot ecosystem, will launch in June 2025.

On the other hand, Tesla’s Optimus robot also leverages its in-house Hardware series chips, which were originally designed for assistance driving, as noted by Commercial Times.

Commercial Times further suggests that Tesla’s next-gen AI 5 (HW5) chip is nearing mass production and will be built using TSMC’s advanced N3P process. Tesla is reportedly preparing to launch its next-generation HW5 chip as early as next year, with mass production likely to begin in 2026, according to South Korean outlet Maeil Business Newspaper.

In addition to TSMC, Samsung is also betting on the emerging market for humanoid robots. Rumors reported by Sammy Fans suggest Samsung may produce advanced 2nm AI chips for Tesla’s Optimus robot and Dojo supercomputer at its new US factory.

Read more

• [News] Tesla Reportedly Taps TSMC’s 3nm for HW5 Chip; Mass Production Set for 2026
• [News] Tesla’s Robot Plans Stumble Amid China’s Rare Earth Export Curbs
• [News] Tesla to Roll Out FSD in China Using TSMC-Made Chips Amid Rising Local Competition

(Photo credit: NVIDIA)