OpenAI CEO highlights South Korean chips sector for AI growth, willing to invest

Sam Altman, ChatGPT-maker and CEO of OpenAI, who met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol on June 9, urged South Korea to play a leading role in making the chips needed for artificial intelligence (AI) technology while expressing interest to invest in Korean startups and collaborate with bigger chipmakers like Samsung Electronics. 

According to local news media, Koreajoongangdaily, The CEO suggested South Korea should focus on chips as both system semiconductors and memory chips are needed for AI, reduce corporate regulations to foster AI projects, as well as work towards setting international standards.

Altman, who recently embarked on a journey across Europe to engage with policymakers and leaders to discuss the potential and challenges of AI, has now extended his travels to include Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India, and South Korea this week.

During a conference in Seoul, Altman expressed his intention to expand investment in Korean startups, stating, "We are actively exploring avenues to increase our investment in Korean startups."

When questioned about potential collaborations with Korean chip manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Altman confirmed ongoing discussions and expressed his willingness to further engage in the dialogue. According to Nikkei Asia, Korea's Samsung Electronics accounts for more than 40 percent of the dynamic random access memory (DRAM) memory chip sector.

Altman explained that AI relies on the transfer of large volumes of data, leading to an increased demand for memory chips. He further mentioned that OpenAI currently utilizes chips from Taiwan, but in the future, there will be a need for a supply of chips from Korea.

The swift advancement and widespread adoption of generative AI, following the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI with support from Microsoft Corp, are prompting lawmakers worldwide to create regulations addressing the safety implications associated with this technology.

The European Union is progressing with its draft AI Act, anticipated to be enacted this year, while lawmakers in the United States have proposed two new bipartisan bills targeting issues of transparency and innovation in AI.

Related: AI could threaten humanity in 2 years, warns UK AI task force adviser

Altman expressed his admiration for how Koreans embraced and experimented with ChatGPT upon its release, stating that Korea was among the earliest adopters of the service and exhibited remarkable creativity in its usage.

The CEO shared that he is actively involved in the process of establishing an office in Japan. Additionally, he expressed the consideration of opening more offices worldwide as part of their future plans.

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