OpenAI Sam Altman’s 'Bold Moves'... Strengthening Alliance with K-Semiconductors

by Park Joonyi

Published 04 Feb.2025 11:05(KST)

Updated 04 Feb.2025 12:42(KST)

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, visited South Korea on the 4th after a year. Despite a short, overnight schedule, CEO Altman is actively engaging in discussions on cooperation with key domestic figures. During his visit, meetings are scheduled with Lee Jae-yong, Chairman of Samsung Electronics; Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group; and Jung Shin-ah, CEO of Kakao. Amid the emergence of the Chinese AI startup 'DeepSeek,' he will also meet with various industry stakeholders in South Korea, including semiconductor and IT company executives, developers, and researchers. This visit carries strategic significance as OpenAI aims to maintain technological and geopolitical advantages in the global artificial intelligence (AI) market by showcasing close cooperation with the United States' allies, South Korea and Japan, amid intensifying competition with DeepSeek.

On the morning of the same day, CEO Altman attended a private workshop called 'Builder Lab' at the Plaza Hotel in Seoul, targeting domestic companies and startup developers. This workshop was the first event hosted by OpenAI in South Korea, reportedly attended by about 100 developers primarily from startups. At the event, CEO Altman held a separate meeting with Chairman Chey for about 30 minutes. Following this, he participated in a press conference with CEO Jung and continued meetings with Kim Chang-han, CEO of Krafton, and Chairman Lee. For Chairman Lee, this meeting with CEO Altman was his first official schedule after being acquitted in the second trial the previous day. It is expected that Chairman Lee and CEO Altman will continue their discussions over dinner after the meeting.

Yonhap News

CEO Altman's visit to South Korea is interpreted as a strategic move to secure the Asian market amid the global AI dominance competition, beyond mere corporate cooperation. As China's DeepSeek rapidly rises in the AI market, OpenAI faces demands not only to strengthen its technological capabilities but also to develop geopolitical response strategies. Following his visit to Japan, CEO Altman is reinforcing cooperation in the Asian region. Especially amid intensifying competition with DeepSeek, meetings with major companies in Japan and South Korea are seen as a strategic effort by OpenAI to expand its cooperation network across industries, not just in technology. Currently, OpenAI is promoting AI ecosystem cooperation with key countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, the United Arab Emirates, South Korea, and Japan.

In the AI field, building an ecosystem through cooperation with various companies and countries is crucial. AI technology cannot rapidly develop and expand through the efforts of a single company alone, making broad partnerships essential. The more companies and research institutions from different countries collaborate, the greater the technological synergy, creating an environment that quickly adopts new ideas and technologies. Additionally, the more partners involved, the wider the opportunities to apply AI technology across various industries, leading to expanded global market share and accelerated technological innovation. Such cooperation plays a decisive role in OpenAI's continued leadership in the global AI ecosystem.

Among these, South Korea and Japan are U.S. allies with world-class competitiveness in AI technology infrastructure and the semiconductor industry. CEO Altman’s efforts to strengthen cooperation with these countries aim to respond to China’s AI ambitions and secure footholds in the Asian market. South Korea, with its global semiconductor industry and rapidly growing AI ecosystem, is seen as a key advantage that CEO Altman’s visit seeks to leverage to accelerate AI technology development and global ecosystem expansion.

Kakao is expected to utilize OpenAI models in its AI service 'Kanana,' which is scheduled for full launch this year through collaboration with OpenAI. Alongside this, Samsung Electronics and SK are anticipated to be approached for investment. Samsung Electronics is reportedly coordinating plans to establish an 'open partnership' with OpenAI. Particularly, cooperation with Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix holds significant importance for OpenAI’s AI chip development. The world-class semiconductor technology of these companies provides the hardware infrastructure necessary for OpenAI to operate more powerful AI models, which is an essential factor for maintaining OpenAI’s technological edge in the global AI market.

CEO Altman’s visit highlights South Korea’s growing importance amid the intensifying global AI competition. Given the essential combination of semiconductor and AI technologies, attention is focused on how South Korea’s semiconductor industry and AI research capabilities will influence OpenAI’s strategic partnerships. Furthermore, there is keen interest in whether CEO Altman will announce the establishment of a Korean branch. OpenAI established its first Asian office in Tokyo, Japan, in April last year and opened another office in Singapore in September. This visit raises expectations about whether OpenAI will officially begin forming an AI cluster in South Korea and how cooperation with Samsung Electronics and SK will impact the global AI ecosystem.