Samsung Electronics and Naver Corporation, two of South Korea’s largest technology companies, have partnered to develop a generative artificial intelligence (AI) platform for enterprise applications to compete with global AI tools like ChatGPT. The companies plan to create generative AI and AI chips to challenge the supremacy of existing platforms. Naver, the largest online and search engine operator in South Korea, will reportedly obtain semiconductor-related data from Samsung to create a generative AI that will then be further refined by Samsung. The AI tool will support Korean and will first be used by Samsung’s Device Solutions (DS) division, including its semiconductor business. The partnership will help Samsung have an in-house AI tool to improve the company’s productivity, and Naver will improve its chances of penetrating the global enterprise AI market.
One of the key advantages of the Samsung-Naver AI chatbot is its support for the Korean language. Naver’s artificial intelligence unit, Naver Cloud, plans to launch a new ultra-large-scale AI platform, HyperCLOVA X, which has learned 6,500 times more Korean words than Microsoft-backed OpenAI-developed ChatGPT. HyperCLOVA X will understand and respond to Korean language questions better than English-based tools, Naver said.
One of the company’s main business goals is to provide customer-centric services that better solve problems faced by Korean companies. Samsung has prohibited employees of its Device Experience (DX) department from using ChatGPT, Google Bard, Bing AI chatbots, and other generative AI tools on their desktop computers, tablets, and smartphones. In South Korea, SK Hynix Inc., the world’s second-largest maker of memory chips, and POSCO Holdings Inc., South Korea’s largest steelmaker, have also banned their employees from using generative AI chatbots at work.
The companies plan to launch AI chips in the second half of this year to compete with GPU products from companies such as Nvidia. According to market research firm Gartner, the global AI chip market is expected to grow from $23 billion in 2020 to $70 billion in 2025.
Samsung and Naver plan to launch the AI tool as early as October, and after testing, expand its application to Samsung’s other businesses, including the Device Experience (DX) department responsible for smartphones and home appliances. Naver plans to make its generative AI tool for enterprises globally available by the end of this year by combining its existing collaborative business services, including LINE WORKS and NAVER WORKS, with HyperCLOVA X.