MOU Signed Between Government and OpenAI in October Last Year
"OpenAI Will Use GPUs Located in Korea"
OpenAI is joining forces with Korean companies such as Samsung and SK to begin building data centers in Korea. As an extension of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed last October between the Ministry of Science and ICT and OpenAI, the AI alliance between South Korea and the United States is expected to become even stronger.
Altman Sam, CEO and co-founder of OpenAI, the developer of ChatGPT, attended Kakao Media Day held on the 4th at the Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, and is conversing with Jeong Sina, CEO of Kakao. Photo by Kang Jinhyung
According to the Ministry of Science and ICT and others on February 11, OpenAI, together with Samsung and SK, will break ground on data centers in Korea next month. Major foreign media have reported that the construction of the data centers will proceed in the form of joint ventures between OpenAI and Samsung SDS and SK Telecom. It is known that two data centers with an initial capacity of 20 megawatts (MW) each will be built in Jeonnam and Pohang, North Gyeongsang Province.
The start of construction of these data centers is seen as the fruition of the cooperation between the government and OpenAI. The Ministry of Science and ICT and OpenAI signed an MOU in October last year to accelerate Korea's great AI transition and the creation of an AI ecosystem. The MOU includes support for the establishment of OpenAI's global AI data centers and participation by Korean companies, support for activating AI transformation in the public sector, and support for balanced regional development of the domestic AI ecosystem. At the time, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman reportedly referred to Samsung and SK as "special partners" in a closed-door meeting with President Lee Jaemyung and said, "We want to continue investing in infrastructure and give back the benefits we have gained."
Once the data centers are actually built, cooperation between the government and domestic companies on one side and OpenAI on the other will become even closer. In January last year, OpenAI announced the "Stargate Project" to build AI infrastructure worth 500 billion dollars (about 726.35 trillion won) together with Oracle, a U.S. software and cloud company, and SoftBank, a Japanese investment firm. This collaboration is not limited to simply building AI infrastructure; it also signifies that Korea will participate in an AI ecosystem that has so far been centered on the United States.
An official from the Ministry of Science and ICT said, "There is no concrete administrative support yet regarding the construction of OpenAI's data centers. The data centers have not been built yet, and we are only at the first step," but added, "Instead, OpenAI will use graphics processing units (GPUs) located in Korea. The plan is for the government and OpenAI to proceed with cooperation and projects at the next stage."
An OpenAI official said, "We are currently in the discussion stage regarding the groundbreaking of the data centers," and added, "It is difficult to confirm the timing of the groundbreaking."
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