Seoul: Kim Kyoung-hoon, the new head of OpenAI Korea, announced that the U.S.-based ChatGPT developer is advancing its Stargate project, an overarching artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure program, through a dual-track system in collaboration with Samsung Group and SK Group.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Kim, who was recently appointed as general manager at OpenAI Korea, shared during a press conference in downtown Seoul that "We are proceeding with two Stargate projects." He mentioned that the Stargate team from the U.S. headquarters visited Korea this week to meet with officials from Samsung and SK, their partners in this endeavor.
In October, OpenAI entered into initial agreements with Samsung and SK for the supply of memory chips linked to the Stargate project, which aims to establish a global AI infrastructure. These agreements were announced during the visit of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Altman to Seoul. The collaboration with SK Group involves plans to construct a data center in the country's southwestern region, while the partnership with Samsung focuses on the joint development of experimental floating data centers.
Kim emphasized that these initiatives are still in the early or planning stages, stating, "We are still a startup, and we are focusing on expanding collaboration as we push forward with this infrastructure-building project."
Marking the third anniversary of ChatGPT's launch, Kim highlighted the deep integration of the AI chatbot into daily life in South Korea, particularly in business contexts. The daily message volume of ChatGPT in South Korea reached 2.63 billion as of June this year, a significant increase from 450 million a year earlier.
Document translation and email writing constitute 29 percent of ChatGPT usage in South Korea, in contrast to about 30 percent of global users who utilize the service for exercise, health, and other lifestyle information. "South Koreans view ChatGPT as a business partner faster than any other country in the world," he noted, adding that they use ChatGPT to enhance productivity and efficiency.
Kim further stated that the increasing integration of AI into everyday life, along with Korea's usage patterns, is expected to accelerate corporate AI transformation in the country. He remarked, "Most economically valuable activities occur within businesses. The positive economic effects of AI can be realized through corporate AI transformation. OpenAI Korea will become the best partner for Korean companies in supporting their AI transformation."