Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., known as Foxconn, introduced its robotics development platform, “Foxconn Genesis,” at Computex Taipei 2025 on May 20, 2025.

The platform, created in collaboration with US chipmaker Nvidia and its Omniverse platform, incorporates AI to enhance robotics capabilities.

According to Foxconn Chairman Young Liu, this initiative aims to provide robots with advanced intelligence to improve manufacturing and supply chains.

Nvidia’s Omniverse enables developers to create AI-powered tools and simulate operational scenarios.

This allows robots to perform tasks immediately upon deployment.

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🔗 Source: Focus Taiwan

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Foxconn’s AI robotics push follows a 15-year automation journey

The Genesis platform represents the latest milestone in Foxconn’s long-running commitment to factory automation, which began well before today’s AI boom.

As early as 2011, the company announced plans to replace portions of its 1.2 million workforce with over one million robots, marking a major shift in its labor strategy 1.

By 2016, Foxconn had already automated 60,000 jobs in a single factory, reducing that facility’s workforce from 110,000 to 50,000 workers while claiming it would allow employees to focus on higher-value tasks 2.

This evolution continued with a $4 billion investment in robotics and automation technology announced in 2018, when Chairman Terry Gou emphasized the urgency by stating, “If we can’t change, we’ll be left behind” 3.

The current Genesis platform, with its focus on giving robots a “brain” through AI, represents the culmination of these efforts, moving from simple task automation to truly intelligent manufacturing systems that can adapt and learn.

2️⃣ Labor economics, not just technology, drive manufacturing automation

Foxconn’s automation strategy has been consistently driven by practical economic factors beyond just technological advancement.

The company’s initial robotics push came after a series of workplace controversies, including multiple worker suicides at its Shenzhen factory in 2010 and reports of extreme working conditions 1.

Rising labor costs in China have been a significant factor, with the country becoming the world’s largest consumer of industrial robots by 2014 as manufacturers sought alternatives to increasing wages 4.

This trend extends industry-wide, with surveys showing 25% of CEOs expect generative AI to lead to job cuts of 5% or more in 2024 5, and economists warning that automation could threaten up to 35% of jobs in the next two decades 2.

Liu’s comment about many being “reluctant to take low-paying jobs” highlights how Foxconn sees AI and robotics as a solution to staffing challenges, addressing both cost pressures and labor availability simultaneously.

3️⃣ Manufacturing’s AI transformation goes far beyond replacing workers

The industrial application of AI extends well beyond simple labor replacement to fundamentally reshape how manufacturing operations function.

AI-driven visual inspection systems are enhancing quality control, with companies like Foxconn integrating AI for defect detection that significantly improves precision while reducing costs 6.

Digital twin environments, like those enabled by Nvidia’s Omniverse platform, allow manufacturers to test and optimize operations virtually before implementing changes, potentially saving millions in implementation costs 7.

While 80% of the U.S. workforce could have at least 10% of their tasks impacted by large language models 5, the manufacturing sector is seeing AI applications across the entire value chain, from predictive maintenance and supply chain optimization to product design and customization 6.

McKinsey research indicates companies are increasingly investing in AI, with 92% planning to increase investments over the next three years, despite only 1% considering their organizations mature in AI deployment 7.

Recent Foxconn developments

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