OpenAI CEO visits Korea to meet Korean chipmaker leaders

Sam Altman, the CEO of OpenAI, known as the 'father of ChatGPT,' is set to meet with executives from top South Korean semiconductor companies, including Gyeong Gye-hyeon, the head of Samsung Electronics' semiconductor division, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won on Friday.

According to industry sources on Thursday, Altman arrived in South Korea late afternoon and is scheduled to visit Samsung Electronics' Pyeongtaek semiconductor factory on Friday. He plans to discuss collaboration strategies with Gyeong Gye-hyeon, along with Choi Si-young, head of the foundry business, Lee Jeong-bae, head of the memory business, and Park Yong-in, head of the system LSI business. After a meeting with Chairman Chey in Seoul that evening, Altman departed. Initially, there was also an offer for a meeting with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. Still, scheduling proved difficult due to the challenging circumstances ahead of the trial related to the Jeil Industries and Samsung C&T unfair merger and accounting irregularities.

According to recent reports from Bloomberg and the Financial Times, Altman is actively pursuing a project to develop OpenAI’s AI semiconductor, aiming to reduce dependence on NVIDIA in the AI semiconductor market. He has been in contact with G42, an AI company based in the United Arab Emirates, and potential investors in the Middle East, SoftBank, TSMC, and others. There's speculation that Altman might engage potential investors related to the project during his visit to Korea. Industry observers are closely watching whether Samsung Electronics and SK hynix will join OpenAI's in-house AI semiconductor initiative through these meetings.


Do-Young Kwak now@donga.com