FRENCH software company Dassault Systèmes is teaming up with U.S. chip giant Nvidia to develop an industrial artificial intelligence platform that supports Virtual Twin technology — digital replicas of real-world manufacturing environments that enable real-time simulation and optimization.

The partnership will combine Dassault’s Virtual Twin technology with Nvidia’s AI infrastructure, open models and accelerated software libraries to build scientifically validated industry “World Models” and empower designers and other professionals to acquire new knowledge through intelligent virtual assistants on Dassault’s 3DEXPERIENCE platform.

At its Feb. 2 annual summit for users of the SOLIDWORKS and 3DEXPERIENCE platforms, Dassault unveiled three AI assistants built on industrial-grade World Models, aimed at accelerating AI adoption in industrial applications. Companies that deploy these AI technologies could boost productivity by more than tenfold.

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, who attended the Dassault event, described “physical AI” as the next major frontier and said the market could be worth up to US$9 trillion. He predicted the coming decade will bring explosive growth in robotics and profound industry-wide changes.

Because robots are traditionally programmed for specific, repetitive tasks, they are most valuable when deployed at scale, Huang said. Many companies need smarter, more capable robots. With the industrial AI platform being developed by Dassault and Nvidia, robots can use AI-driven automation to learn about the world and understand how to operate within it.

“This will allow companies of all sizes and across all industries to use AI to enhance their value, rather than being left behind by it,” Huang said.

As AI tools become more widely adopted, Dassault’s business model may change. “AI opens the door to entirely new pricing models,” said Pascal Daloz, chief executive officer of Dassault. The company, which has charged for software licensing for decades, may shift toward usage-based pricing as AI continues to advance.(SD-Agencies)