OpenAI announced on Tuesday its collaboration with South Korea's chat app operator Kakao to develop artificial intelligence products, marking a significant partnership with a prominent Asian company. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman held meetings with key industry leaders during his visit to Seoul, including Samsung Electronics, SoftBank, and Arm Holdings. Notably, the Stargate AI data center project was discussed among the tech giants.
On a tour across Asia, Altman recently forged a similar agreement with SoftBank for AI services in Japan, with plans to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi soon. Kakao, known for its dominant messaging app KakaoTalk, expressed its intent to utilize technology from the ChatGPT creator for its offerings. Despite Kakao's emphasis on AI growth, industry experts note its trailing position compared to local competitor Naver in the AI landscape.
During a joint press briefing with Kakao CEO Chung Shina, Altman highlighted AI and messaging as key areas of interest, underscoring Korea's significance as a burgeoning market for OpenAI. Discussing the Stargate project, Altman hinted at the involvement of Korean companies without divulging specifics due to confidentiality reasons.
SoftBank's Son hinted at potential collaboration with Samsung regarding the Stargate initiative, emphasizing productive discussions, while Arm's CEO Rene Haas praised Samsung as a valuable collaborator. Altman also engaged with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won to explore cooperation on AI chips, aligning with South Korea's focus on advancing AI technology.
Looking ahead, Altman expressed OpenAI's contemplation of participating in South Korea's national AI computing center project, aligning with the country's ambitious AI investment plans. Following the developments, Kakao's stocks experienced a 2% decline after a previous surge of 9%.