On Monday, Nvidia Corp and MediaTek Inc announced that they will work together on technology to power advanced vehicle infotainment systems that can stream video or games and use artificial intelligence to talk to drivers. Under the agreement, which was announced at the Computex technology show in Taipei, MediaTek will add an Nvidia graphic processing unit chiplet and Nvidia software to the system-on-chips it sells to automakers for infotainment displays.
The two companies said that automated driving systems based on Nvidia technology would work with MediaTek systems that use Nvidia software. Displays on the dashboard could show what’s going on around the car, and cameras would keep an eye on the driver.
“The automotive industry needs strong companies that can work with the industry for decades at a time,” Jensen Huang, the CEO of Nvidia, said at a news conference in Taipei. He said this because car makers have a long product cycle. “The quality, strength, and positions of our two companies could give the auto industry partners that they can build their businesses on,” he said, adding that the partnership would provide chips that can power “every single part of a car.”
Displays and entertainment systems in cars are getting more complicated as automakers add features like games, artificial intelligence for voice-activated features, driver monitoring systems, and displays related to automated driving. Qualcomm, which is MediaTek’s biggest competitor in the smartphone market, has also been reaching out to car companies. Early this year, Qualcomm and SalesForce announced that they would work together to create a new platform for connected vehicles.
The two companies say that the partnership gives Nvidia more access to the $12 billion market for infotainment system-on-chips. Rick Tsai, the CEO of MediaTek, said at the same event that the first products would come out in late 2025. Nvidia has put most of its attention on high-end car brands like Mercedes-Benz and Jaguar Land Rover.
MediaTek’s main business is making chips for Android phones. It sells its Dimensity Auto technology to mass-market, lower-priced car lines. It is good at mobile connectivity and Android systems. “They are going after a lot of markets that Nvidia hasn’t gone after,” said Danny Shapiro, vice president of automotive at Nvidia. The companies did not find out who would buy cars from them in the future.
