Seoul: Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon met with Nvidia Corp. Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang in Seoul on Monday to explore collaboration opportunities aimed at enhancing South Korea's physical artificial intelligence (AI) ecosystem.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the meeting occurred during Huang's visit to South Korea, where he engaged with executives from the nation's major conglomerates involved in the AI supply chain, as well as researchers and startup representatives in the sector. Bae emphasized the potential for South Korea to develop successful AI applications across multiple industries through strategic collaboration with Nvidia, a leading U.S. chip manufacturer.
Bae highlighted South Korea's strengths in semiconductors and manufacturing, noting that cooperation with Nvidia could facilitate the exchange of components and infrastructure, leading to successful use cases in various industries. He expressed optimism that Huang's visit would expedite the country's AI development, especially in emerging fields like physical AI. The Korea AI Ecosystem Reception, hosted by Nvidia, was seen as a pivotal event for advancing South Korea's AI capabilities.
The event was attended by representatives from 18 companies within South Korea's AI ecosystem, including major conglomerates such as Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor Group, and LG Electronics, as well as technology firms like Naver and Krafton, alongside AI and robotics startups.
Bae and Huang reiterated the importance of achieving tangible outcomes from the partnership established last year between South Korea and Nvidia during the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) meeting, as per the ministry's statement. Post-meeting, Bae informed reporters that Huang committed to delivering around 260,000 graphics processing units (GPUs) promised during the APEC event and to support the supply of additional units for the South Korean government's AI projects.
The discussions also covered potential collaborations in the physical AI domain, with Bae expressing hopes for Nvidia's forthcoming AI research and development center in Seoul to become a significant hub for South Korea's partnership with the U.S. chipmaker, the ministry reported.