Samsung will make AI memory chips for OpenAI

Update: It appears that there was some confusion regarding custom AI chips, as the company says the announcement wasn't about custom AI chips but advanced memory chips. Here's OpenAI's official statement (from its spokesperson) on this report.

“The reference to expanding our collaboration with Samsung was made in the context of our existing relationship, including Samsung Electronics’ adoption of ChatGPT and the LOI announced last October. We have nothing new to announce. We did not announce plans to manufacture chips through Samsung.“

The original story continues below…

OpenAI, the firm behind ChatGPT, is expanding its partnership with Samsung Electronics. The company announced joint research and chip production efforts with the South Korean tech giant, alongside deployment of OpenAI's enterprise software across Samsung.

OpenAI Korea announced the expanded collaboration, confirming that Samsung will manufacture a custom AI chip for OpenAI. While OpenAI has not revealed the chip’s official name or specific use case, it is likely an AI computing chip designed to succeed Jalapeno, OpenAI's first custom inference chip developed with Broadcom and fabricated by TSMC.

Beyond custom AI processors, the two companies will collaborate on advanced memory chips. OpenAI emphasized the growing demand for cutting-edge memory chips to power faster, more complex AI workloads. This effort is a part of OpenAI's Stargate data center initiative, which also involves Samsung’s rival, SK Hynix.

OpenAI also noted that Samsung represents one of the largest worldwide deployments of ChatGPT. Samsung employees across Korea and overseas use the AI tool for research and development, sales, and marketing.

Samsung DX (Device eXperience), the division that makes and sells smartphones, TVs, home appliances, laptops, and wearables, allows staff to use ChatGPT internally alongside Google Gemini and Anthropic Claude.

South Korea currently hosts the largest paying ChatGPT user base outside the United States. Furthermore, the number of ChatGPT Enterprise users across South Korean institutions surged roughly 28x year over year as its use has expanded across legal, finance, marketing, and operations.