Could software soon be assembled on an assembly line, much like the modern car?
Might artificial intelligence fully automate traditional manufacturing and software development processes?
A decade ago, the idea might have seemed farfetched. Now, AI has shifted to the forefront of everyone's mind, and it turns out, software may soon be assembled in fully automated AI factories.
In partnership with Nvidia, which produces a variety of components useful for AI, Foxconn is looking to build an AI-driven software assembly line that will be able to teach itself to develop software platforms. In the words of Foxconn, the resulting software programs will be all but impossible for humans to build. If Foxconn can deliver, these software solutions might upend many sectors, including the automobile industry.
Akin to Henry Ford revolutionizing the auto industry and manufacturing with the introduction of the modern assembly line, the drive to create AI factories is partially driven by Foxconn's desire to become a major player in the electric vehicle craze. Foxconn is already famous for assembling many of the 2.35 billion iPhones sold over the years.
Now they're looking to disrupt the automobile industry with white-label automobiles. Rather than dealing with the hassle of marketing cars, Foxconn currently sellis a bus and two passenger vehicles that other companies can label with their own branding and sell. Foxconn's buses already cruise the streets in Taiwan, and Taiwanese automaker Luxgen is expected to launch a Foxconn car under the N7 brand in 2024.
Foxconn's status as a gadget manufacturer has some people doubting if they can break into the automobile market, let alone the AI market. However, at least with automobiles, some analysts believe Foxconn may be more innovative and less bound by tradition, perhaps following in the wake of industry disruptor Tesla.
