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Sam Altman, creator of ChatGPT and CEO of OpenAI, who met with South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol on June 9, urged South Korea to play a leading role in building the chips needed for artificial intelligence (AI) technology, while expressing interest in investing in Korean startups and cooperate with larger chip manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics.
According to local news outlet Koreajoongangdaily, the CEO suggested that South Korea focus on chips since AI needs both system semiconductors and memory chips, lower corporate regulations to support AI projects, and work on setting international standards.
Altman, who recently traveled to Europe to speak with policy makers and leaders to discuss the potential and challenges of AI, expanded his trips this week to include Israel, Jordan, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, India and South Korea.
During a conference in Seoul, Altman expressed his intention to increase investment in Korean startups, stating, “We are actively exploring ways to increase our investment in Korean startups.”
When asked about possible cooperation with Korean chip manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics and SK hynix. Altman confirmed the ongoing discussions and expressed readiness for further dialogue. According to Nikkei Asia, Korean company Samsung Electronics accounts for more than 40% of the Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) chip sector.
Altman explained that artificial intelligence is based on the transfer of large amounts of data, which leads to an increase in demand for memory chips. He also mentioned that OpenAI is currently using chips from Taiwan, but there will be a need to supply chips from Korea in the future.
The rapid development and widespread adoption of generative AI since the launch of ChatGPT by OpenAI, backed by Microsoft Corp, is prompting lawmakers around the world to create regulations regarding the security implications of this technology.
The European Union is pushing ahead with a draft AI Act expected to pass this year, while lawmakers in the United States have proposed two new bipartisan bills to address issues of AI transparency and innovation.
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Altman expressed his admiration for how Koreans embraced and experimented with ChatGPT after its release, stating that Korea was one of the first to adopt the service and showed remarkable creativity in its use.
The CEO shared that he is actively involved in the process of opening an office in Japan. In addition, he expressed his desire to open more offices around the world as part of his plans for the future.