‘OpenAI Builder Lab Seoul’ Held on the 4th
Altman Leads a Hands-On Event in Person
Altman Demonstrates New OpenAI Features Himself
Altman Meets with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won
Ten Korean Startups Reconnected from 2023 Invited
A view of the venue taken by an attendee at the 'OpenAI Builder Lab Seoul' conference held on the 4th.
On the morning of the 4th, AI developers dressed in padding and jeans began arriving early at the Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, where the ‘OpenAI Builder Lab Seoul’ conference featuring Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, was held. Before the conference started, CEO Altman immediately went up to the 22nd-floor event hall upon arriving at the hotel.
The conference was held privately with CEO Altman inviting 100 representatives and CTO-level developers from Korean AI companies. From the business sector, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, SK Hynix CEO Kwak No-jung, and SK Telecom CEO Yoo Young-sang also attended. It is reported that CEO Altman described his meeting with Chairman Chey just before the conference as "wonderful."
He conducted the conference in a hands-on event format designed to assist with development and innovation using AI. The event lasted three hours, from 9 a.m. to noon. The OpenAI leadership team displayed a large screen and demonstrated, providing participants with optimal development know-how tailored to user cases by utilizing the OpenAI API (Application Programming Interface).
When asked about plans to expand in the Korean market, CEO Altman reportedly responded, "Of course." He evaluated Korea as a country with strong industries related to AI, such as semiconductors and energy, and one that actively adopts AI. According to attendees, there was a humorous incident during the conference where CEO Altman attempted to demonstrate a new OpenAI feature live but had to replace it with a video introduction due to an error.
An IT industry insider explained, "The conference informed attendees on how to efficiently apply OpenAI’s API to their own services," adding, "Simply put, it was about how to effectively integrate ChatGPT’s conversational features into other services." During the event, the OpenAI leadership team showcased new features live to participants and conducted Q&A sessions.
CEO Altman also continued his connections with Korean AI startups at the conference. Ten startup CEOs and developers who had formed ties through the ‘Global Corporate Collaboration Program’ jointly promoted by OpenAI and Korea’s Ministry of SMEs and Startups in 2023 were invited. These included A-Sleep, Client, DK MediInfo, Marina Chain, Next Payments, Nine Watt, Run Korean in Korean, Turing, Waddle, and WeRaiser.
A startup CEO attending the conference said, "I sent questions about the AI industry in advance via email," and added, "With DeepSikro causing significant changes in the AI ecosystem, I am looking forward to this conference." Besides startups, developers from large companies such as Naver Cloud were also invited to the event.
CEO Altman is also scheduled to appear at a press conference with Jeong Shin-a, CEO of Kakao, held at the same venue. Following the Builder Lab event, CEO Jeong plans to announce Kakao’s AI-related direction, drawing attention to potential collaboration between the two companies.
OpenAI appears eager to incorporate startups into its ecosystem, using CEO Altman’s visit to Korea as an opportunity. On the same day, an OpenAI invitation event organized by AI researchers will be held at Seoul National University. Applications have already been accepted from Seoul National University students. The event is a private session limited to selected students and will be conducted in a format where OpenAI executives answer questions.
Seoul National University explained in the event notice, "Attendees will have the opportunity to learn about the latest OpenAI models and hear perspectives on the AI environment directly from OpenAI leadership."
Meanwhile, in an interview with Japan’s Nihon Keizai Shimbun on the 3rd, CEO Altman proposed establishing an AI safety oversight organization similar to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). He also expressed a willingness to directly develop AI semiconductors. During his visit, meetings with Samsung Electronics and SK are scheduled, raising expectations for discussions on cooperation in the semiconductor sector.
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