
Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks on the Roosevelt Room on the White Home in Washington, Jan. 21. AFP-Yonhap
Expectations are rising that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman might signal an enormous shock take care of Korea’s semiconductor powerhouses — Samsung Electronics and SK hynix — throughout his upcoming Seoul go to in a transfer to strengthen the chip provide chain in an period of synthetic intelligence (AI).
Altman, the creator of the AI chatbot ChatGPT, plans to attend the Builder Lab developer workshop on Tuesday, the place round 100 tech business officers are anticipated to assemble. This marks the primary time OpenAI will maintain its personal occasion in Korea.
All eyes are on whether or not he’ll meet with Korean chip moguls to raise partnerships. In line with the business, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is extremely prone to maintain a closed-door assembly with Altman for talks on a broad vary of agendas, reminiscent of AI companies, knowledge facilities and high-bandwidth reminiscence (HBM) chips.
SK hynix, a chip affiliate of the group, is now having fun with its heyday on its preemptive inroads into HBM chips essential for AI companies. The chipmaker maintains shut ties with Nvidia and a bunch of worldwide Large Tech with the fast rise of AI and its subsequently robust influence on different industries.
This would be the first time in eight months that the heads of the 2 firms will presumably meet one another after Chey’s go to to San Francisco in June 2024.
Nonetheless, it additionally stays to be seen whether or not Altman will even maintain talks with Samsung Electronics Government Chairman Lee Jae-yong.
In January 2024, Altman met with key Samsung executives accountable for the agency’s reminiscence chip enterprise and foundry operations. He additionally visited the chipmaker’s main manufacturing line in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. On the identical day, he met with Chey and SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung.
Each Samsung and SK on Monday declined to substantiate any potential conferences between their prime executives and Altman in Seoul.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks throughout a media occasion on the sidelines of this 12 months’s CES in Las Vegas, Jan. 8. Courtesy of SK Group
Given Altman’s eager curiosity in Korea, one other main agenda is when OpenAI will be capable of open an workplace in Seoul. In April final 12 months, the corporate arrange its first Asian workplace in Tokyo. It then expanded its foothold within the area by constructing one other workplace in Singapore. Rumors are the Seoul workplace will open by the tip of 2025.
Following the Builder Lab occasion, Altman will focus on its partnership with Kakao by attending the latter’s deliberate press convention. Kakao is the operator of Korea’s main cellular messenger. Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a and Altman will share particulars on how they may strengthen AI ties through the upcoming occasion.
Final 12 months, Kakao unveiled its imaginative and prescient to launch its personal AI mannequin known as Kanana, with the corporate set to introduce it to the general public someday across the first quarter of this 12 months. Chances are high Kakao makes use of the AI mannequin from OpenAI for the operation of Kanana.
“As the top of OpenAI is sending repeated gestures to deepen partnerships with builders and tech companies right here, there stands the likelihood that the corporate [might open] a Seoul workplace quicker than anticipated,” an official from the tech business mentioned.
In November, OpenAI cast a partnership with the Korea Improvement Financial institution to stage up Korea’s AI ecosystem.