Samsung CEO indicated Wednesday that the company would invest more significantly in its robotics division this year to be better prepared for the rapidly advancing landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled machines, which will impact humans in meaningful ways in the foreseeable future.
Han Jong-hee, the Vice Chairman of Samsung, spoke at the annual shareholders meeting in Suwon, located 34 kilometers south of the South Korean capital, Seoul. While addressing the meeting, he mentioned that the company plans to bolster core technologies necessary for the development of different robots and to widen the roster of its products available to customers.
He further highlighted that the tech conglomerate would be pursuing a range of initiatives in 2023, such as further development of wearable robotic devices. Its ultimate goal is to create sophisticated robots with the capabilities to adapt through user interaction and operate depending on user preferences. The company plans to release its first human assistant robot, EX1, before the end of this year.
Samsung views ChatGPT positively but raises concerns regarding the global chip market
At the shareholder's meeting, Samsung presented its sobering forecast of the chip business for the fiscal year. Despite this, the company remains committed to its plans to capitalize on this setback by continuing its investments to acquire clean rooms and technology advances, believing it can use the misfortune as a catalyst for success. According to their estimates, the global chip market is expected to diminish by 6% year-on-year, totaling $563 billion, primarily due to external impacts such as the Russia-Ukraine conflict and the tensions between the US and China.
Interestingly, Samsung anticipates that the introduction of ChatGPT, OpenAI's AI-based chatbot system, will have a positive impact on its chip business, as it envisages the potential for synergy between the ChatGPT AI model and its services. The company is confident that this will result in a substantial increase in chip demand in the future.
Furthermore, the tech firm has announced plans for a $230 billion investment to build five new memory and foundry fabs in South Korea, conforming to the nation's aim of developing a major semiconductor hub in Yongin, on the outskirts of Seoul, through 2042. The move reflects a larger drive to stabilize the semiconductor supply chain globally in the face of the increasing US-China conflict.
