“Talks go beyond AI cooperation to the next decade” ... 50 Samsung executives meet Sam Altman

[Financial News] Samsung discussed with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, the business landscape and management strategies for the next 10 years that artificial intelligence (AI) will reshape.
The two companies, which have cooperated mainly on supplying memory semiconductors and building data centers, exchanged views on ways to strengthen corporate competitiveness through AI, giving their cooperation more concrete form. Samsung plans to enhance its executives’ ability to use AI and expand that capability across all its affiliates, connecting growth opportunities in the AI infrastructure market with improvements in internal productivity and decision-making.
Samsung held a meeting of its executives with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman on the 31st at the Samsung Human Resources Development Center in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province. More than 50 presidents of major affiliates in sectors including electronics, finance and biotech attended and discussed future strategies under the theme “The Next 10 Years, Reshaped by AI: Choices for Businesses.”
Participants examined the direction of AI technology development and its potential applications, and exchanged views on emerging markets and business opportunities. They also discussed AI’s impact on corporate decision-making and organizational operations, as well as the capabilities executives will need in a changing business environment.
The meeting focused on enhancing the judgment and execution capabilities of executives leading Samsung’s AI transformation (AX). As AI adoption expands from improving the efficiency of individual tasks to encompass business strategy and organizational operations as a whole, the meeting reflected the view that senior executives must first understand the technology and be able to apply it to investment decisions and the allocation of personnel and work.
The participation of executives from the electronics, finance and biotech sectors, whose businesses have different structures, appears intended to make AI a shared management priority across the group.
Samsung’s existing business cooperation with OpenAI also provided a basis for the discussions. Last October, Samsung Electronics signed a letter of intent (LOI) with OpenAI to build global AI infrastructure and has been working to supply the memory semiconductors needed for the Stargate Project.
Samsung SDS agreed to cooperate on AI data center construction and enterprise AI services, while Samsung C&T and Samsung Heavy Industries agreed to jointly develop offshore floating data centers. Exchanges between the two companies have continued, including a visit in July this year by Lee Jae-yong, chairman of Samsung Electronics, to OpenAI’s headquarters in San Francisco, United States. In the context of cooperation spanning semiconductors, information technology (IT) services, construction and shipbuilding, Samsung executives directly assessed the direction of the AI market and strategies for using AI.

Before the meeting, Samsung’s executives also received hands-on training in generative AI. It was their first intensive training since June, four months earlier, and focused on applying AI to actual management work, beyond simply keeping up with technological trends.
Since June, Samsung has been pursuing an “AI Great Transformation,” introducing AI across all areas, including research and development, production, marketing and support functions. Its strategy is to change not only the AI competitiveness of its products and services, but also the operating systems through which it develops, manufactures and sells them.
Samsung is also expanding its training in stages. After starting with executive training, it has rolled out programs for about 2,300 executives and aims to extend them to regular employees and complete AI training for all employees by February next year. Dedicated AI teams at each affiliate develop AX strategies suited to each company’s business and support the operation and use of data and AI models.
A Samsung official emphasized, “We will continue to review the progress of AX initiatives at each affiliate and flesh out action items,” adding, “We plan to establish an AI-centered management system.”
[email protected] Kim Hak-jae Reporter