OpenAI Presents 'AI Economic Blueprint' for Korea: "A Hub for the Intelligence Age"

Chris Lehane, OpenAI Chief Global Affairs Officer, Holds Media Briefing
"17 Million ChatGPT Users, Highest Subscribers Per Capita"
Full-Scale Entry with 'Stargate Korea'... Detailing AI Data Center and Memory Partnerships

Chris Lehane, Chief Global Affairs Officer (CGAO) at OpenAI, stated at a media briefing held at The Plaza Hotel in Seoul on October 23, "In addition to our memory supply partnerships with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, we are actively discussing the development of AI data centers in Korea," adding, "We see Korea as an infrastructure hub for the 'Intelligence Age'." Regarding the government's ongoing 'National AI Computing Center' initiative, he commented, "If the government requests, we are open to providing advice."

On this day, Lehane introduced OpenAI's policy proposal report for Korea, titled "AI in Korea: OpenAI's Economic Blueprint," stating, "Korea stands at a turning point where it can drive meaningful economic growth across industries and regions while ensuring universal access to frontier AI technologies." The report highlights three major areas of collaboration: infrastructure, operational capabilities, and data governance. It also presents a 'dual track' strategy for Korea to establish itself as a key participant in the global AI ecosystem.

OpenAI recently announced "Stargate Korea," the Korean version of its global AI infrastructure project "Stargate." In Korea, OpenAI has signed memory chip supply agreements with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, and has also signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Ministry of Science and ICT and others for the construction of AI data centers. In this project, OpenAI presented the possibility of a monthly demand for 900,000 DRAM wafers, revealing its strategy to foster Korea as a major AI hub.

Lehane described Korea as a country where "semiconductors, digital infrastructure, talent, and government commitment converge," and proposed a two-track approach of 'strengthening sovereign AI' and 'strategic collaboration with global frontier companies.' The aim is to accelerate domestic adoption by integrating OpenAI's large-scale and stable deployment capabilities. Regarding memory demand, he noted, "From OpenAI's perspective, a hyperscale data center consumes about 1GW (gigawatt) of power per week," and added, "Corresponding DRAM demand is surging globally. Korean companies with such capabilities have significant opportunities."

Lehane defined AI as a "general-purpose technology" comparable to electricity, internal combustion engines, and the internet. He said, "Korea has experience growing both its domestic market and exports over the past 75 years. The same pattern can be replicated in the Intelligence Age," adding, "OpenAI aims to be a constructive partner in realizing the visions of both government and the private sector." The Intelligence Age is a concept proposed by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, referring to an era where the widespread adoption of AI technology drives changes in daily life.

Lehane also presented concrete statistics on Korean users and developers. According to OpenAI's research, there are about 17 million regular ChatGPT users in Korea, with the highest number of subscribers per capita in the world. Developer activity also ranks within the global top 10. He said, "Korean users are not just seeking answers to simple questions; they utilize AI broadly in daily life, and its integration with the creative ecosystem, such as video generation, is expected to have simultaneous ripple effects on both productivity and the content industry."

Regarding the sensitive issue of personal data protection amid several hacking incidents in Korea, he emphasized the "principle of user control." Concerning the agent-type browser "Atlas," released on October 21 (local time), he said, "It is designed so that users can explicitly choose and manage the scope of data sharing and whether to store memory. These are not hidden settings," stressing that it is a "personal tool," distinct from social media.

OpenAI also revealed its technology roadmap. This year is "the year of agentic AI," with AI becoming commonplace in performing actual work such as purchases and travel planning. By 2026, systems that extract new insights from massive data processing will become mainstream. In 2027, robotic AI will begin to take on real-world roles, and he assessed that "Korea has great potential to play a leading role."

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