SK Hynix Launches AI Specialist Company 'Gaus Labs'... Leading Future Value Creation

by Lee Dongwoo

Published 22 Sep.2020 07:41(KST)

Establishment of SK Group's First Separate AI Corporation

Younghan Kim, CEO of Gauss Labs

[Asia Economy Reporter Dongwoo Lee] SK Hynix has launched ‘Gaus Labs,’ an industrial AI specialized company that will lead manufacturing innovation through artificial intelligence (AI) solutions. This is the first time SK Group has established a separate corporation positioning itself as an AI specialized company.

SK Hynix announced on the 22nd that after establishing Gaus Labs’ headquarters in Silicon Valley, USA last month, it will set up a Korean office by the end of this month. The capital is approximately 55 million USD, fully invested by SK Hynix until 2022.

So far, SK Group has pursued various AI businesses through its affiliates. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won emphasized at the SK Icheon Forum last August, “We must create social value by utilizing innovative technologies such as AI and DT (digital transformation), while expanding the customer base and generating customer happiness,” adding, “If we fail to utilize innovative technologies, we cannot guarantee SK’s future.”

Gaus Labs aims for semiconductor manufacturing innovation through AI, developing AI solutions that maximize production efficiency by utilizing the vast data generated at SK Hynix’s manufacturing sites. Through this, SK Hynix will promote intelligence and optimization across the entire semiconductor production process, including process management, yield prediction, equipment maintenance, material measurement, defect inspection, and defect prevention.

Professor Younghan Kim, a world-renowned data science expert, UCSD tenured professor, and IEEE Fellow, was appointed as CEO of Gaus Labs. Since last year, CEO Kim has been working as a data research fellow at SK Hynix, and with his technical expertise and global network, he is regarded as the optimal figure to lead SK Hynix’s AI innovation and Gaus Labs’ growth.

Gaus Labs recruited Dr. Sunghee Yoon, formerly of Amazon, as the Chief Research and Development Officer to lead technology development. Dr. Yoon is an AI and optimization expert who trained in the research lab of Stanford University Professor Stephen Boyd, a world authority in machine learning and convex optimization, and has gained experience in various industries such as semiconductors and e-commerce.

Going forward, Gaus Labs plans to expand its business not only to SK Group’s manufacturing-related affiliates in energy and bio sectors but also to global customers. While AI services based on B2C have been mainstream, recently, the importance of B2B-based AI systems for solving production site challenges and reducing costs, especially in manufacturing, has emerged.

CEO Younghan Kim of Gaus Labs stated, “By the end of this year, we will secure around 20 global AI experts and actively recruit talented individuals at both the US headquarters and Korean office to grow the company to a scale of 200 employees by 2025,” adding, “We will do our best to ensure that Gaus Labs, where the most creative and challenging top AI experts gather, grows into a world-class industrial AI powerhouse.”