OpenAI chief's Seoul visit fuels speculation on chip partnership
Expectations are growing that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman could sign a big surprise deal with Korea’s semiconductor powerhouses — Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — during his upcoming Seoul visit in a move to strengthen the chip supply chain in an era of artificial intelligence (AI).
Big Surprise Deal in the Works?
Altman, the creator of the AI chatbot ChatGPT, plans to attend the Builder Lab developer workshop on Tuesday, where around 100 tech industry officials are expected to gather. This marks the first time OpenAI will hold its own event in Korea. All eyes are on whether he will meet with Korean chip moguls to elevate partnerships.
According to the industry, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is highly likely to hold a closed-door meeting with Altman for talks on a broad range of agendas, such as AI services, data centers, and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.
Potential Partnerships with Korean Chip Giants
SK hynix, a chip affiliate of the group, is now enjoying its heyday on its preemptive inroads into HBM chips crucial for AI services. The chipmaker maintains close ties with Nvidia and a group of global Big Tech with the rapid rise of AI and its subsequently strong impact on other industries.
This will be the first time in eight months that the heads of the two companies will possibly meet each other after Chey's visit to San Francisco in June 2024.
However, it also remains to be seen whether Altman will also hold talks with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong.
Expansion Plans and Office Setup in Korea
Given Altman’s keen interest in Korea, another major agenda is when OpenAI will be able to open an office in Seoul. Rumors are the Seoul office will open by the end of 2025.
In November, OpenAI forged a partnership with the Korea Development Bank to level up Korea’s AI ecosystem.
Partnership with Kakao and Future Prospects
Following the Builder Lab event, Altman will discuss its partnership with Kakao by attending the latter’s planned press conference. Kakao is the operator of Korea’s leading mobile messenger. Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a and Altman will share details on how they will strengthen AI ties during the upcoming event.
“As the head of OpenAI is sending repeated gestures to deepen partnerships with developers and tech firms here, there stands the possibility that the company [might open] a Seoul office faster than expected,” an official from the tech industry said.
In April last year, the company set up its first Asian office in Tokyo. It then expanded its foothold in the region by building another office in Singapore.
Altman's visit has sparked speculation on potential chip partnerships with Korean giants and the establishment of an OpenAI office in Seoul, solidifying the country's position in the AI industry.
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