Microsoft to forge AI partnerships with South Korean tech leaders

Microsoft is set to host top executives from South Korea’s leading technology firms next month to strengthen its AI partnerships.

The high-level meeting, dubbed the MS CEO Summit 2024, will be held on 14 May 2024 and feature Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates and Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella. They will engage in closed-door discussions with Kyung Kye-hyun of Samsung, Kwak Noh-jung of SK Hynix, Cho Joo-wan of LG Electronics, and Ryu Young-sang of SK Telecom.

Sources for The Korea Economic Daily suggest that Microsoft plans to explore joint ventures in AI technology across various sectors. Discussions with Samsung and SK Hynix will likely centre on the joint development and supply of AI chips.

Samsung and SK Hynix are recognised as being among the world’s leading memory chipmakers and can enhance Microsoft’s server capabilities with next-generation technologies such as High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) AI chips and solid-state drives (SSDs).

Collaboration topics with LG Electronics will include integrating AI technologies into home appliances, a move that will boost Microsoft’s competitive edge against rivals like Google and Meta. With SK Telecom, Microsoft is expected to delve further into cloud and 5G services.

These meetings are timely, as the global tech landscape sees an increased focus on AI development. By potentially integrating Microsoft’s AI services into products like Samsung’s smartphones and LG’s home appliances, Microsoft could significantly elevate its market standing.

Kyung of Samsung’s Device Solutions indicated last month that their new AI accelerators, Mach-1 and Mach-2, will soon move into mass production. These accelerators are designed to optimise the synergy between GPUs and HBM chips, promising a revolution in processing speeds. Earlier this month, the company unveiled the industry’s first LPDDR5X DRAM which aims to boost on-device AI.

SK Telecom, under CEO Ryu, spearheads the Global Telco AI Alliance (GTAA). This consortium, including major global players like Deutsche Telekom and SingTel, aims to develop AI infrastructure and generative AI services across a customer base exceeding 1.3 billion globally.

Last year, SK Telecom invested $100 million in AI startup Anthropic to develop a large language model (LLM) specifically for telcos. The collaborative endeavour extends to the Telco AI Platform, an ongoing project initiated by the GTAA.

The MS CEO Summit 2024 presents an opportunity for enhanced AI cooperation and technological advancement, securing Microsoft’s position as a pivotal player in the industry.

(Photo by Natalie Pedigo)

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