U.S.-based chipmaker Nvidia is set to capture the attention of financial analysts and the tech market this week during its annual GPU Technology Conference, known as GTC 2025. The event, which commenced on March 17, is expected to gather 18,000 attendees in San Jose, California until February 21.
With 330 clients and partners at GTC 2025, the Latin American presence has increased by 50% compared to 2024, according to the company. Brazil will have a prominent role during the conference, with such companies companies such as Petrobras and artificial intelligence (AI) startups like Widelabs and Doris participating.
The biggest draw of GTC 2025 is panel featuring Nvidia’s founder and CEO, Jensen Huang, on March 18. Mr. Huang is anticipated to elaborate on the company’s strategy surrounding “physical AI,” which was announced during the CES 2025 consumer tech fair in January, involving AI chips for vehicles, logistics robots, and humanoids.
Also, Mr. Huang’s announcements regarding advancements in Nvidia’s graphic processing units (GPUs) will be closely watched by the market. The company’s high-capacity GPUs support much of contemporary progress in generative AI and have propelled Nvidia to the position of the world’s most valuable company, a spot it currently shares with Apple.
There is anticipation for the new line of GPUs, dubbed “Blackwell Ultra,” which is set for launch in the second half of the year. Mr. Huang disclosed the deadline himself at the end of February during the company’s fiscal Q4 conference call.
During the conference call with analysts, Mr. Huang also mentioned the next generation of GPUs slated for 2026, named Rubin. The name honors American astronomer Vera C. Rubin, who provided compelling evidence of the existence of invisible “dark matter” in the universe and passed away in 2016.
Quantum computing will also be a topic in a panel led by Huang on March 20, featuring executives from big tech firms like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft.
Among the Brazilian attendees, Petrobras will present its project for creating an AI assistant for asset management in offshore and onshore operations, in a panel with Deloitte.
Startup Widelabs, creator of a Brazilian large language model (LLM) called Amazônia IA, will participate of a panel on AI for sovereignty alongside representatives from Denmark, India, Japan, and the UK.
“Brazil can claim to have cutting-edge AI that competes with the best in the world and is ours,” said Widelabs’ CEO and partner, Nelson Leoni. The startup won a bid from the Prosecutor’s Office of Rio Grande do Sul to develop AI agents that optimize internal processes and public services. “We have the capacity to generate significant impact in the public sector,” Mr. Leoni notes. “With AI, there is cost reduction, improved efficiency, and reduced impact.”
The startup, supported by Nvidia and Oracle, will also be among GTC 2025 exhibitors, presenting a new platform for AI agent applications, Amazônia 360, and participating of a startup competition during the event. “Brazil has a unique opportunity not to fall behind in the AI race, because the impact is enormous, whether in the private or public sector,” Mr. Leoni said.
GTC 2025 participants interested in purchasing Nvidia apparel during the event will be virtually dressed by the AI startup Doris, said the startup’s CEO, Marcos de Moraes. In addition to clients in Brazil, like men’s clothing chains Aramis and Reserva, Doris has begun expanding internationally in Qatar through a contract with the holding company Abu Issa, Mr. Moraes said. “We will be in six physical stores in shopping malls, bringing an omnichannel edge,” said Mr. Moraes.
The reporter’s travel costs were covered by Nvidia.