Sam Altman to meet chipmakers Samsung, SK Hynix execs this week, possibly for AI Chip venture

Sam Altman, the Chief Executive Officer of OpenAI, is visiting key figures in South Korea’s semiconductor industry as the artificial intelligence company contemplates a potential foray into chip production. Altman’s trip includes a tour of Samsung Electronics Co.’s chip fabrication plants in Pyeongtaek, where he is expected to meet with top executives from various divisions, including foundry, memory, and system LSI units. The purpose of Altman’s visit to South Korea remains undisclosed, but it comes amid OpenAI’s efforts to secure funding for establishing a network of semiconductor factories. The surge in interest in AI applications, particularly since the release of OpenAI’s ChatGPT, has created substantial demand for the computing power and processors required to develop and run AI programs. Altman has previously expressed the challenge of obtaining a sufficient supply of chips to meet OpenAI’s needs. While Altman’s goals in South Korea remain uncertain, reports suggest that he is exploring potential collaborations with Samsung and SK Hynix Inc., including discussions with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. Samsung has been expanding its foundry business, catering to the chip designs of various customers. South Korea is a prominent player in high-end chip production, rivalled only by Taiwan. TSMC leads the global foundry market, providing chips for companies like Apple and NVIDIA. The South Korean government has outlined an ambitious plan, involving private sector investments of 622 trillion won ($466 billion) leading up to 2047. This initiative aims to construct 13 new chip plants and three research facilities, creating what is expected to become the world’s largest chip-producing area. Samsung and SK Hynix, the world’s two largest memory chipmakers, are actively working to build sophisticated chip plants domestically. Samsung’s substantial investment in foundry expansion is part of a broader plan involving a 500 trillion won investment by 2047, while SK Hynix aims to invest 122 trillion won in memory in Yongin over the same period. Representatives for Samsung and SK Hynix declined to comment on Altman’s visit, and OpenAI has yet to respond to requests for comment.