"Making Korea an AI Testbed"... Global AI Alliance Collaboration with Nvidia, Samsung, SK, Hyundai Motor, Naver and Others

From Korean AI Leaders like Samsung, SK, Hyundai, and Naver

to Global Giants Nvidia, OpenAI, Anthropic, and Broadcom

"Turning Korea into the Global AI Hub," Companies Speak with One Voice

Detailed AI Collaboration MOUs to Be Announced

Global artificial intelligence (AI) companies and major domestic corporations are expanding collaboration across semiconductors, data centers, sovereign AI, and physical AI. Their vision is to jointly build a next-generation AI ecosystem by combining Korea’s strengths in memory and advanced manufacturing with the AI platforms of major U.S. big tech companies.

At the “San Francisco AI Summit” held in San Francisco, USA, on the 24th (local time), government officials including President Lee Jae-myung, along with leaders of domestic AI firms and major big tech companies, gathered together. The event was attended by Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Executive Chair Euisun Chung, and Naver Founder Lee Hae-jin. From the global big tech sector, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan were also present.

Jensen Huang, CEO of Nvidia, stated, “Now is the golden era for Korea,” and expressed his commitment to work with Korean companies to jointly develop next-generation AI, supercomputers, robotics, and digital factories.

Huang especially emphasized plans to greatly expand collaboration with SK Group in the areas of AI semiconductors and infrastructure. He said, “We have decided to further expand our partnership with SK Group, even including a $500 billion chip supply deal,” and added, “We will purchase an enormous amount of memory and pursue joint development through this.” Plans are also underway to supply Nvidia’s supercomputing systems to SK Telecom.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is speaking at the "San Francisco AI Summit" held at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, on the 24th (local time), with President Lee Jae-myung in attendance. Photo by Yonhap News.

Samsung Electronics and Nvidia will collaborate in manufacturing next-generation AI semiconductors and in robotics. Huang said, “With Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, and others, we will advance next-generation AI and manufacture semiconductors.” He continued, “With Hyundai Motor Group, we will build robotics, digital factories, and next-generation digital twin plants, while with LG, we will create the energy infrastructure needed for the AI era.”

Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong stressed that cooperation between Korean and U.S. companies is essential for building the AI ecosystem. He stated, “The AI era cannot be created by the power of a single company or nation alone.” He went on to say, “Building a perfect ecosystem—from innovative AI models and state-of-the-art semiconductors to stable data centers and abundant electric power—requires global cooperation that transcends borders.”

Samsung Electronics is also moving forward with Broadcom on next-generation AI semiconductors and high-performance AI solutions. On this day, Broadcom plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Samsung Electronics to develop next-generation AI and high-performance computing solutions. The two companies intend to expand their cooperation starting with AI accelerators and networking.

Hock Tan, CEO of Broadcom, outlined directions for collaboration with Korea, including developing frontier AI models, building customized AI computing accelerators, and strengthening the memory and semiconductor ecosystem. The plan is to utilize Broadcom’s accelerator and networking technology to enhance AI computing performance and cost efficiency. Tan stated, “Taking Samsung as a case, let’s all join forces, and through end-to-end collaboration, strengthen our capabilities and together build the next-generation AI infrastructure.”

Chairman Chey Tae-won of SK Group (right) and Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, are conversing on the 24th (local time) at The Midway in San Francisco, USA, during the 'San Francisco AI Summit' attended by President Lee Jae-myung. Yonhap News.

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won shared that the CEOs of global AI companies he recently met are all demanding more semiconductors and greater computing power than expected. Chey said, “Every time I meet with CEO Huang, he asks for more semiconductors. He mentioned the quantity Nvidia will need over the next five years, and frankly, it’s enough to make one nervous.” He added that Anthropic and OpenAI are also requesting an expansion of computing infrastructure and memory semiconductor supply for AI model development.

He emphasized that, through ongoing research and development (R&D), Korea should transform itself into the world’s top “AI testbed.” He also stated that Korea aims to serve as an AI data center hub connecting the U.S. and Asia, and to increase memory and computing supply to lower AI usage costs.

Chey highlighted, “Only by reducing AI token costs can more people around the world fully benefit from AI.” He continued, “To achieve this, Korea should mass-produce high-performance memories such as high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and establish large-scale, high-efficiency AI data centers, thereby contributing to the global supply chain and establishing itself as a global AI infrastructure hub linking the U.S., Europe, and Asia.”

Hyundai Motor Group is joining hands with Nvidia to expand the country’s physical AI ecosystem. Hyundai Motor and Nvidia plan to establish a “Robot Application Research Center” and an “AI Technology Support Center” within Korea, respectively. Together, these centers will function as key hubs for AI technology development and for fostering talent in the field of physical AI.

Boston Dynamics, a Hyundai Motor Group subsidiary, is collaborating with Google DeepMind to improve robotic AI cognition. Euisun Chung stated, “Our goal at Hyundai Motor Group is to advance domestic robotic AI technology by creating a robust open ecosystem. Korea will emerge as a global hub for the converging industries of robotics and AI.”

Anthropic will expand AI supply and investment cooperation with domestic companies, including Samsung Electronics and SK. In addition, it plans to sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Ministry of Science and ICT and to establish an “AI Safety Institute” in Korea.

Naver is expanding AI technology and its global business, powered by investments from Nvidia and Brookfield. Naver’s founder, Lee Hae-jin, commented, “Nvidia and Brookfield have committed to investing $10 billion in Naver. By combining not just their capital but also their brand value and business networks, I am confident we can rapidly expand our technological assets worldwide.”

Microsoft (MS) is also strengthening AI cooperation with Korean companies, including SK Group. In a video message, MS CEO Satya Nadella stated, “We are jointly designing memory semiconductors with SK, and I look forward to Korean corporations, institutions, and talent shaping the next stage of growth.”

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman expressed his support for the government’s vision of “AI for All,” saying, “The pioneering spirit of Korean entrepreneurs toward technology, along with the infrastructure investments made by the Korean government, will serve as a compass and benchmark for humanity’s shared prosperity around the globe.”

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