Mixed Expectations and Concerns in the IT Industry over Sam Altman's Visit to Korea

Meeting with Domestic Startups During Visit to Korea on the 9th
Expectations for Investment Attraction and Collaboration... Concerns Over AI Regulation

Attention in the IT industry is focused on Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, who sparked the generative artificial intelligence (AI) boom with ChatGPT, as he visits Korea. While there is anticipation for investment and collaboration with domestic AI companies during his visit, there are also concerns about the acceleration of AI regulations.

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups and SoftBank Ventures will host a meeting with domestic startups on the 9th, inviting CEO Sam Altman. This event was arranged after Altman announced in March that he would tour major cities worldwide, including Seoul. About 100 startups selected based on technological relevance in the AI field will attend.

[Image source=Reuters Yonhap News]

Participating companies are hopeful for investment opportunities. Receiving investment from OpenAI not only secures funding but also serves as a reference that recognizes their competitiveness. Last year, OpenAI established the venture capital (VC) 'OpenAI Startup Fund.' It invested in companies such as 'Atomic Semi,' a small semiconductor chip manufacturer, and 'Covariant,' an AI developer for robot manipulation.

There is also strong interest in partnerships. Joining as a ChatGPT plugin partner allows easy integration of ChatGPT with their own services. Plugins connect ChatGPT to specific services like plugging code into an outlet. Currently, OpenAI has only opened plugins to some partners. Jeon Chan-seok, CEO of AI video production company V-Cat, said, "When building the initial ecosystem, plugins will be opened to trusted companies first," adding, "I expect domestic companies to be given the first opportunity." A representative from Selvas AI, an AI company specializing in voice recognition and synthesis technology, said, "Many areas such as drones, robots, and the metaverse cannot connect with ChatGPT due to interface limitations, but we hope the ecosystem will expand further through collaboration with voice technology companies." This refers to the limitation that ChatGPT operates via text, making it difficult to integrate with services that require voice interfaces.

Some companies also desire the establishment of a Korean office. Currently, many domestic startups provide services using ChatGPT application programming interfaces (APIs). Having an OpenAI base in Korea would facilitate smoother communication necessary for service stabilization. After visiting Tokyo, Japan, in April, Altman mentioned he is considering opening a local office there. Kim Sung-hoon, CEO of Upstage, said, "OpenAI only has regions (bases) in Europe and not in Korea, which causes slow speeds."

On the other hand, there is also concern about this visit. The visit could accelerate discussions on AI-related regulations. Altman has been emphasizing the need for AI regulation while touring countries including the European Union (EU). The EU is currently discussing the AI Act to regulate AI. Starting in August, they will require labeling of AI usage in content. Some worry that OpenAI might become a black hole that dominates all issues. A startup CEO said, "I worry that domestic startups might just be sidelined," emphasizing, "They will likely take a lot of domestic companies’ and technology information, so I hope this does not end as a one-time event."