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Before Henry Ford rolled out the Model T, before the Wright brothers took to the skies and before the Statue of Liberty welcomed millions to America’s shores, Corning was already charting a course of innovation that continues today.
Best known to many Americans for the glass products that have been fixtures in kitchens for generations, Corning has also spent decades developing technologies that quietly transformed the modern world. From the glass used in Thomas Edison’s light bulbs to the durable screens protecting billions of smartphones.
Nearly 175 years after its founding, Corning is once again helping shape a technological revolution. As demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure surges, the New York-based manufacturer is ramping up production of optical fiber, the backbone of the high-speed networks powering AI.
The company is also partnering with NVIDIA, the chipmaker at the center of the AI boom, to create 3,000 jobs in two states.
For decades, Corning has been at the forefront of fiber optic innovation, developing technologies that enable faster, more reliable communications. (Courtesy of Corning)
At a time when many Americans worry artificial intelligence will replace human workers, Corning Chairman, CEO and President Wendell Weeks says the opposite is happening inside one of the nation’s oldest manufacturers.
“AI is a huge job creator, and it’s a huge manufacturing job creator,” Weeks told Fox News Digital.
He said the AI boom is driving demand for Corning’s optical fiber while fueling the company’s fastest period of growth in nearly two centuries.
“As a 175-year-old company, we’re going through our fastest growth period,” Weeks said. “We will probably double our size over the coming years and almost all of our new hires will be in advanced manufacturing, a significant part of them right here in America.”
That growth is already taking shape on Corning’s factory floors.
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A Corning employee handles optical fiber as part of the manufacturing process that supports broadband and telecommunications infrastructure. (Courtesy of Corning)
“As the world develops and tells us what it needs, we’re right there at the forefront,” Emily Capek, planning supervisor at Corning’s Wilmington, North Carolina, facility told Fox News Digital.
She said employees are seeing firsthand how demand for AI platforms is driving the need for Corning’s products.
“Right now, the world needs our glass optical fiber to support the AI demand we’re seeing,” Capek said. “It’s a great feeling on the factory floor.”
Her comments reflect a much broader trend. While much of the attention surrounding AI has focused on chipmakers and software developers, companies like Corning are supplying the glass technology that connects AI systems and supports the industry’s rapid expansion. That investment is already translating into the opening of new U.S. factories and creation of American jobs.
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A Corning technician inspects optical fiber before it moves to the next stage of production. (Courtesy of Corning)
Earlier this year, NVIDIA partnered with Corning to build three advanced optical manufacturing facilities in North Carolina and Texas. It’s expected to create more than 3,000 jobs across both states while expanding Corning’s U.S. optical manufacturing capacity tenfold.
Having worked with innovators such as Apple co-founder Steve Jobs during his career, Weeks said he’s proud to now partner with NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang as Corning helps build the infrastructure powering the AI revolution.
While companies like NVIDIA have become synonymous with artificial intelligence, Weeks said many people overlook the role optical fiber plays in connecting AI systems.
“The common story is AI being powered by chips, but actually, those chips are connected by glass,” Weeks said.
The AI manufacturing boom isn’t just fueling growth at longtime American companies like Corning. It’s also attracting foreign investment into U.S. manufacturing. Wistron, a Taiwan-based electronics manufacturer, is establishing AI supercomputer manufacturing operations in Texas for NVIDIA, bringing advanced manufacturing jobs to the state.
“Building in America is essential for speed, resilience and strategic advantage,” Wistron Chairman Simon Lin told Fox News Digital.
“Texas offers the talent, industrial strength, and strategic location to help power the next generation of AI infrastructure, while creating durable, high-value jobs at scale for the local workforce,” he added.
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As America marks 250 years of independence, Weeks said the country’s next chapter of innovation will depend not only on breakthrough ideas, but on manufacturing them at home.
“The tools change, but the approach doesn’t,” Weeks said.