Seoul, Feb 4, 2025
SoftBank Group head Masayoshi Son said on Tuesday he had a “very good discussion” with Samsung Electronics Co. Chairman Lee Jae-yong and OpenAI chief Sam Altman, as the three gathered to discuss artificial intelligence (AI) cooperation in the midst of the rapidly changing industrial landscape.
The rare trilateral meeting took place at a Samsung Electronics office in southern Seoul following Altman’s meetings with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and Kakao Corp. chief executive officer (CEO) Chung Shin-a. Son came to Seoul earlier in the day.
After the two-hour meeting, Son told reporters that he had “a very good discussion,” which centred on mobile and AI strategies, reports Yonhap news agency.
Asked if Samsung would join OpenAI’s Stargate project, Son simply said they had good discussions and would continue talks.
He added that no decisions had been made regarding whether chip giant SK hynix would also join them for the project.
The $500 billion Stargate project is a major initiative to build new AI infrastructure in the United States in collaboration with Japan’s SoftBank and Oracle.
Upon arriving at the meeting venue, Son said, “I will discuss an update of the Stargate project and potential collaborations with Samsung Group.”
Son also spoke highly of South Korean technology prowess and engineers, while stressing the growing importance of AI in all countries.
Tuesday’s meeting was Lee’s first public event after being acquitted by an appellate court of accounting fraud and other irregularities related to the 2015 controversial merger of two Samsung affiliates.
Altman is visiting Seoul as part of his Asia tour, during which he is meeting with investors, developers and corporate partners to strengthen OpenAI’s industry leadership.
On Monday in Tokyo, Altman and Son announced plans to establish SB OpenAI Japan, a new joint venture between OpenAI and SoftBank, a move aimed at leveraging the Stargate initiative.
Earlier Tuesday in Seoul, Altman hinted at South Korean companies’ involvement in the ambitious Stargate project.
A possible alliance of Samsung Electronics, OpenAI and SoftBank draws close attention as the global AI industry is entering another phase of competition following the launch of Chinese startup DeepSeek’s new AI models.(Agency)
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