Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, recently had discussions with chip-producing firms like Samsung Electronics and expressed his willingness to continue these conversations.
Altman met with President Yoon Suk Yeol and urged South Korea to lead in chip production for AI technology during his visit. He also expressed interest in partnering with significant chipmakers like Samsung Electronics and investing in Korean startups.
Altman advised South Korea to focus on chip production and corporate restrictions to promote AI projects and establish global standards. He emphasized the importance of system semiconductors and memory chips for AI applications.
Therefore Altman has been expanding his trips to various countries, including Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India, and South Korea. His goal is to engage with politicians and leaders to discuss the potential and challenges of AI. During a conference in Seoul, Altman announced his plan to increase investment in Korean startups, stating:
“We are actively exploring avenues to increase our investment in Korean startups.“
Regarding potential partnerships with South Korean chip makers such as Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, Altman confirmed that negotiations are underway. He expressed his desire to develop these discussions further.
Samsung Electronics, based in Korea, currently dominates the market share for dynamic random access memory (DRAM) chips, holding over 40%. Altman highlighted the need for memory chips in AI applications, as significant amounts of data transfer are required.
OpenAI’s Expansion Plans: Office in Japan and Global Presence
While OpenAI currently uses chips from Taiwan, Altman mentioned the future requirement for a chip supply from Korea. Generative AI has made progress and gained widespread adoption with the release of ChatGPT, developed by OpenAI in collaboration with Microsoft. This has led legislators worldwide to develop regulations addressing the safety implications of this technology.
American politicians have introduced two bipartisan legislations to address issues of openness and creativity in AI. Meanwhile, the European Union is progressing with its draft Artificial Intelligence Act, which is expected to pass this year.
Altman praised Koreans for their early experimentation and enthusiastic adoption of ChatGPT, acknowledging their innovative service use. OpenAI plans to open an office in Japan and establish more offices globally in the future.
