What Will Sam Altman and President Yoon Discuss When Meeting K-Startups?

OpenAI Founder and CEO Visiting Korea on 9th
Participates in Government-Private Joint Dialogue Schedule
Meeting with President Yoon...Discussing Industry Outlook

A big event unfolded in the startup industry. Sam Altman, founder and CEO of OpenAI, which is causing a global sensation with the generative artificial intelligence (AI) ChatGPT, visited Korea on the 9th. He is touring the world under the name ‘OpenAI Tour’ and is known to have a special interest in Korea’s startup ecosystem. After attending events organized by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups and SoftBank Ventures respectively, Altman CEO will meet President Yoon Seok-yeol in Yongsan. The meeting is designed to assess the current status of the AI industry and explore cooperation plans with Korean startups.

◆Meeting startup people and an audience with President Yoon = Altman CEO will hold a dialogue with Lee Young, Minister of SMEs and Startups, at the Grand Ballroom of the 63 Building from 11 a.m. under the event titled ‘K-Startup Meets OpenAI.’ Afterwards, he will have a Q&A session sequentially with domestic startups and the press. Topics will include societal changes due to AI technology development, views on appropriate AI regulation, and advice for startup founders. The Ministry of SMEs and Startups accepted applications from startups wishing to participate until the 2nd. A total of 334 companies applied, and the ministry shortlisted about 100, focusing on evaluating the AI technological capabilities of the applicants.

From 2 p.m., a dialogue event for about 1,000 people will be held at the same venue, co-hosted by OpenAI and SoftBank Ventures and sponsored by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. Named ‘Fireside Chat with OpenAI,’ the event will feature SoftBank Ventures CEO Lee Jun-pyo and New York University professor Cho Kyung-hyun discussing innovations brought by AI technology with Altman CEO, followed by a Q&A session with the audience. Within a day of registration opening, the event drew explosive interest, with applications exceeding several times the expected number from AI developers, researchers, entrepreneurs, founders, and university students in Korea.

Later, from 3:50 p.m., Altman CEO will meet President Yoon Seok-yeol at the Presidential Office to discuss ChatGPT technology and future industry prospects. A key official from the Presidential Office told reporters the day before that "President Yoon tries to meet business leaders, especially those leading industries globally, whenever possible," adding, "We hope that good inspiration will be exchanged during the meeting."

◆Altman touring the world... what about Korea? = Altman CEO is currently on a world tour. In April, he visited Japan and met Prime Minister Kishida Fumio, and last month he traveled to Canada, Brazil, and Nigeria. In European countries such as France and the UK, he met heads of state and gave lectures at universities. This week, after visiting Middle Eastern countries including Israel, Jordan, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), as well as India, he came to Korea.

Minister Lee Young, Ministry of SMEs and Startups Photo by Yonhap News

Altman CEO’s visit to Korea differs from his visits to other countries. Usually, Altman visits alone or with a few executives, but in Korea, a large number of executives including co-founder Greg Brockman, head of investments Brad Lightcap, and key technologists accompanied him. Notably, Brockman’s wife, Anna, was born in Korea, which is said to have increased their interest in Korea. Product manager Joanne Zhang, who is also Korean-American, is visiting with them. A Ministry of SMEs and Startups official said, "While discussions with other countries focused on regulations, cooperation with startups is the core topic with the ministry, which is very positive," adding, "They are particularly interested in collaborating with Korean AI startups that have a strong semiconductor ecosystem."

◆Ministry of SMEs and Startups and private sector cooperate to secure a heavyweight guest = Attention was also drawn to the fact that the Ministry of SMEs and Startups, a relatively new ministry, rather than the Ministry of Science and ICT or the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, was the main organizer securing Altman CEO, whose every move is closely watched. It is known that the ministry has been pushing for the meeting with strong determination from Minister Lee since OpenAI launched the ChatGPT service. Minister Lee is a venture entrepreneur and digital security expert. A ministry official said, "We predict that AI technology will determine the future of the 4th Industrial Revolution’s new technologies and the global industrial landscape, and could also influence our country’s fate." During Minister Lee’s visit to the U.S. in April, a meeting with Altman CEO in Silicon Valley or Boston was discussed but was canceled due to scheduling conflicts.

CEO Altman’s invitation was also partly due to CEO Lee. They have had a personal relationship since Altman was involved with the U.S. accelerator Y Combinator (YC). The two have cooperated by exchanging startup investment opinions, and have maintained a close relationship, communicating occasionally even after Altman founded OpenAI.

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