Former Google CEO: "Samsung Semiconductor Technology Underrated... Capable of Replacing TSMC"

Eric Schmidt, Chairman of the U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) (Former Google CEO)
[Photo by AP News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Hyunjin] Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google and chairman of the U.S. National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI), stated that "Samsung Electronics is undervalued" in the field of semiconductor manufacturing technology and expressed the view that some of the semiconductor manufacturing currently concentrated in Taiwan's TSMC could be replaced.

In an interview with the Nihon Keizai Shimbun released on the 10th, Chairman Schmidt said that the current cutting-edge 5nm (nanometer, one billionth of a meter) semiconductor products "will be supplied by TSMC and Samsung Electronics." He emphasized that Samsung Electronics could play a role in replacing Taiwan, which is geopolitically tense due to its relationship with China, as countries around the world rely on Taiwan as a source for advanced semiconductors.

Chairman Schmidt revealed this view because China's rapid technological growth is becoming a threat. He diagnosed that China's technological capabilities in artificial intelligence (AI) and quantum computing are "catching up to the U.S. faster than observed in the NSCAI report released in March this year." The report at that time stated, "If the current situation continues, there is a risk of losing AI leadership to China, which would threaten U.S. security."

Chairman Schmidt analyzed, "Even if the U.S. spends a large amount of money, it cannot immediately become like Taiwan," adding, "The semiconductor factory that TSMC has announced it will build in the U.S. cannot be a cutting-edge factory like the ones in Taiwan. The U.S. and China will inevitably continue to depend on TSMC." In this situation, he added that the U.S. needs to continue maintaining leadership in 'strategic' areas such as AI, semiconductors, energy, quantum computing, and synthetic biology.

Chairman Schmidt suggested that to achieve this, the U.S. should maintain closer relationships with Korea, Japan, and Europe. He added that close cooperative relationships should be built with engineers, universities, and governments in Korea, Japan, and Europe, and that information sharing between universities and companies should also take place. Regarding future U.S.-China relations, he emphasized an approach based on 'strategic partnership,' saying, "Some believe that China should be seen as an enemy and all relations, including trade, should be cut off, but that thinking is wrong," and "Cooperation can be built in areas that are not strategically important."

Chairman Schmidt expressed opposition to the spread of regulations on major information technology (IT) companies such as Google, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon (GAFA) worldwide, stating, "Measures that deviate from common sense, such as breaking up companies, do not help because they lead to a loss of competitiveness against China."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.