OpenAI Expands Global Reach: Partners with South Korea's Kakao Amid Rising AI Competition

After SoftBank, OpenAI Partners with South Korea's Kakao

These announcements come as a part of Altman's world tour across Japan, India, Dubai, South Korea, France and Germany. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has partnered with South Korean tech giant Kakao, granting it access to ChatGPT for AI services. The deal expands OpenAI's global network as competition intensifies, particularly with the rise of Chinese AI rival DeepSeek. Kakao, which operates South Korea's largest messaging platform, KakaoTalk, announced the collaboration on Tuesday. Altman also reportedly met with key South Korean semiconductor firms, Samsung and SK hynix, both critical suppliers of AI chips. Discussions with SK Group chairman Tae-won Chey and SK hynix CEO Noh-Jung Kwak focused on AI memory chips, including high-bandwidth memory. DeepSeek's progress has sparked concerns in Silicon Valley, with speculation that it may have reverse-engineered US AI technology. Samsung's Jaejune Kim acknowledged the growing competition, stating the company is closely monitoring industry trends. Despite the shifting landscape, Altman remains focused on OpenAI's expansion. Speaking in Seoul, he highlighted the Kakao partnership's significance: "We're excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao's millions of users and integrate our technology into services that transform communication." These announcements come as a part of Altman's world tour. The OpenAI chief is travelling to Japan, India, Dubai, South Korea, France and Germany to enhance the company's global partnerships. In Japan, OpenAI announced a new feature called deep research for ChatGPT Pro Users, which conducts "multi-step research" from sources available on the internet to curate a comprehensive report "at the level of a research analyst". In addition, SoftBank, a Japanese investment firm, announced a partnership to "develop and market" an enterprise AI solution called Cristal Intelligence. Altman is set to visit India on February 5. He is likely to meet government officials in Delhi and hold a developer's meet in the capital. Attendees can check out the latest releases and pick up tips for using the OpenAI API. In an exclusive interview with AIM in November last year, Pragya Misra, public policy and partnerships lead at OpenAI and the only employee of the company in India, said, "He [Altman] just loves India."

OpenAI partners with Kakao to expand AI services in South Korea

This was the second partnership deal signed this week between the ChatGPT developer and a high-profile Asian firm as it aims to expand its Stargate initiative. US artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI has announced it will partner up with South Korean tech giant Kakao to further expand in the region. OpenAI CEO Sam unveiled the partnership at an event in Seoul with Kakao's chief executive, Chung Shin-a. They will be working on a localised AI product. This was the second partnership deal signed this week between the ChatGPT developer and a high-profile Asian firm, after the announcement of an alliance with Japan's SoftBank. The AI sector has been shaken by the recent announcement from Chinese newcomer DeepSeek that it has come up with very smart but low-cost AI that threatens to undercut incumbents like California-based OpenAI. Altman also met with top officials of SK Hynix, a South Korea-based major supplier of high-bandwidth memory chips, and Samsung Electronics Chairman, Lee Jae-yong. Kakao operates South Korea's most popular messaging app KakaoTalk, which has expanded into areas such as e-commerce, payments, and gaming. Altman is on a whirlwind tour of Asia, he is due to visit India on Wednesday. On Monday in Japan, SoftBank and OpenAI set up a 50-50 held company called SB OpenAI Japan. SoftBank said it plans to spend around €3 billion a year to integrate its AI service Cristal across its companies, which include Arm, a semiconductor and software company, and PayPay, an electronic payment service. Cristal could be used by companies for planning, marketing, emails and figuring out old source codes. Altman talked about the just-announced "deep research," which allows ChatGPT to carry out more complicated tasks, including preparing reports by browsing the web and finding thousands of sources far more quickly than a human worker. SoftBank and OpenAI, along with Oracle, are part of the Stargate project supported by President Donald Trump, investing up to $500 billion (€484 billion) in AI infrastructure in the US. Son said Stargate would expand into Japan and other nations.

OpenAI, Kakao to jointly develop AI products for South Korea

ChatGPT creator OpenAI and South Korea's dominant chat app operator Kakao said on Tuesday they plan to form a strategic partnership to develop AI products for the Korean market. Kakao also said it will use OpenAI technology for its products. The announcement was made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Kakao CEO Chung Shina during a press conference in Seoul. Altman also said many Korean companies will be important contributors to the ecosystem of the U.S. Stargate data center project but added that he wants to keep partnership conversations confidential. Altman met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won earlier on Tuesday and also plans to meet with executives from Samsung during his visit. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics produce high bandwidth memory chips used in AI processors.

OpenAI Partners with South Korea's Kakao as DeepSeek Heats Up AI Race

These announcements come as a part of Altman's world tour across Japan, India, Dubai, South Korea, France and Germany. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman has partnered with South Korean tech giant Kakao, granting it access to ChatGPT for AI services. The deal expands OpenAI's global network as competition intensifies, particularly with the rise of Chinese AI rival DeepSeek. Kakao, which operates South Korea's largest messaging platform, KakaoTalk, announced the collaboration on Tuesday. Altman also reportedly met with key South Korean semiconductor firms, Samsung and SK hynix, both critical suppliers of AI chips. Discussions with SK Group chairman Tae-won Chey and SK hynix CEO Noh-Jung Kwak focused on AI memory chips, including high-bandwidth memory. DeepSeek's progress has sparked concerns in Silicon Valley, with speculation that it may have reverse-engineered US AI technology. Samsung's Jaejune Kim acknowledged the growing competition, stating the company is closely monitoring industry trends. Despite the shifting landscape, Altman remains focused on OpenAI's expansion. Speaking in Seoul, he highlighted the Kakao partnership's significance: "We're excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao's millions of users and integrate our technology into services that transform communication." These announcements come as a part of Altman's world tour. The OpenAI chief is travelling to Japan, India, Dubai, South Korea, France and Germany to enhance the company's global partnerships. In Japan, OpenAI announced a new feature called deep research for ChatGPT Pro Users, which conducts "multi-step research" from sources available on the internet to curate a comprehensive report "at the level of a research analyst". In addition, SoftBank, a Japanese investment firm, announced a partnership to "develop and market" an enterprise AI solution called Cristal Intelligence. Altman is set to visit India on February 5. He is likely to meet government officials in Delhi and hold a developer's meet in the capital. Attendees can check out the latest releases and pick up tips for using the OpenAI API. In an exclusive interview with AIM in November last year, Pragya Misra, public policy and partnerships lead at OpenAI and the only employee of the company in India, said, "He [Altman] just loves India."

OpenAI chief signs deal with South Korea's Kakao after DeepSeek upset

AFP - OpenAI Chief Sam Altman signed a deal with tech giant Kakao in South Korea yesterday as the United States (US) firm seeks new alliances after Chinese rival DeepSeek shook the global artificial intelligence (AI) industry. Kakao, which owns an online bank, South Korea's largest taxi-hailing app, and a messaging service, announced a partnership allowing them to use ChatGPT for its new artificial intelligence services, joining a global alliance led by OpenAI amid intensifying competition in the sector. "We're excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao's millions of users and work together to integrate our technology into services that transform how Kakao's users communicate and connect," said Altman. "Kakao has a deep understanding of how technology can enrich everyday lives," he added. Kakao's Chief Executive Officer Shina Chung said the company was "thrilled" to establish a strategic collaboration with OpenAI. Altman's company is part of the Stargate drive announced by US President Donald Trump to invest up to USD500 billion in AI infrastructure in the US. But AI newcomer DeepSeek has sent Silicon Valley into a frenzy, with some calling its high performance and supposed low cost a wake-up call for US developers. At a closed meeting with South Korean AI developers, Altman admitted OpenAI "hasn't found a strategy yet" to respond to DeepSeek. When asked by an executive of Wrtn Technologies - a Seoul-based AI firm - about his plans for addressing the rise of open-source models such as DeepSeek, Altman said there is "definitely room for open source". "We haven't figured out a strategy yet, but we want to do more," he added. Altman seems "quite nervous internally but it appears OpenAI is indeed highly aware of, and influenced by, DeepSeek's impact", said data science Professor at Sungkyunkwan University Kim Jang-hyun. "With South Korea being a country known for its high loyalty, frequent usage, and tech-savvy user base," OpenAI might use the country as "a testing ground before expanding globally", Kim told AFP. Also on Altman's agenda were meetings with two top South Korean chipmakers, Samsung and SK hynix, both key suppliers of advanced semiconductors used in AI servers. Altman met with SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung in Seoul to discuss collaboration on AI memory chips, including high bandwidth memory (HBM), and AI services. Executive Vice President of Samsung's memory business Kim Jaejune said last week that the company was "monitoring industry trends considering various scenarios" when asked about DeepSeek. DeepSeek's performance has sparked a wave of accusations that it has reverse-engineered the capabilities of leading US technology.

OpenAI and South Korea's Kakao Ink Strategic Partnership

Kakao plans to adopt ChatGPT Enterprise to accelerate its AI transformation. South Korean internet company Kakao signed a strategic partnership with OpenAI on Tuesday, becoming the first domestic company to partner with OpenAI. The agreement, announced at a joint press conference at The Plaza in Seoul, aims to enhance AI accessibility and drive advancements in AI-powered services. Kakao CEO Shina Chung and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attended the event and announced the collaboration between the two companies. Also Read: Kakao Announces Completion of Its First In-House Data Center in South Korea Under the partnership, Kakao will integrate OpenAI's latest AI technology API into its key platforms, including KakaoTalk, the region's most popular messaging app, and the upcoming Korean-language AI agent service, Kanana. Additionally, Kakao plans to adopt ChatGPT Enterprise to accelerate its transformation into an "AI-native company." The collaboration will also involve joint product development, leveraging Kakao's deep understanding of Korean users and OpenAI's AI expertise. According to the official release, Kakao plans to use both its own language model and OpenAI's model for the Kanana service, which is currently in development. Also Read: Naver Leverages AI to Enhance Search, Maps, and Shopping Services "We will lead the popularisation of AI services by collaborating with OpenAI, which has global technological competitiveness, to provide innovative customer experiences," Kakao CEO Shina Chung said in the keynote presentation. "Through this collaboration, Kakao will further advance its orchestration strategy and mark a turning point in Kakao's efforts to bring the future closer," Chung added. "Kakao has a deep understanding of how technology can enrich everyday lives, and they've consistently delivered innovative experiences for their users," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman said at the press event. "We're excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao's millions of users and work together to integrate our technology into services that transform how Kakao's users communicate and connect." Also Read: SoftBank and OpenAI Announce Partnership to Develop and Market Cristal Intelligence The partnership follows OpenAI's USD 3 billion agreement with Japan's SoftBank, announced Monday, as the company strengthens alliances in an AI market disrupted by the unexpected rise of Chinese competitor DeepSeek.

OpenAI expands in Asia with Kakao and Softbank partnerships

OpenAI and South Korean tech firm Kakao, developers of the popular KakaoTalk messaging app, have entered into a strategic partnership that will see ChatGPT functionality integrated into KakaoTalk while providing OpenAI with valuable training and user behavior data. This news comes just a day after Japan's SoftBank pledged $3 billion to deploy OpenAI technologies across its various business ventures. The Kakao agreement will cover three initial projects between the two companies. First, they plan to develop a Korean-language assistant similar to Siri or Google's Assistant but built atop OpenAI's tech. Second, Kakao employees will gain access to ChatGPT Enterprise in their workflows and third, the aforementioned KakaoTalk integration. Recommended Videos The SoftBank deal is similarly structured. SoftBank and OpenAI have agreed to collaborate on the development of an enterprise AI they're calling "Cristal intelligence," which "will securely integrate the systems and data of individual enterprises in a way that is customized specifically for each company," according to the announcement release. SoftBank has also pledged $3 billion annually to roll out ChatGPT Enterprise across its various subsidiary businesses and integrate Cristal intelligence at scale. "Korea is a very impressive market," Altman said at the announcement press conference, co-led by Kakao CEO Shina Chung. "The adoption of AI in Korea is remarkably advanced. Considering various industries, from energy to semiconductors and internet companies, there is a very strong environment conducive to applying AI. It is a market that is extremely important to us and is growing rapidly." Even more valuable to OpenAI than these various financial investments, is its newfound access to Korean-and Japanese-language data on which to train its large language models. This isn't the first time that OpenAI and SoftBank have joined forces. In January, the two companies (as part of a larger consortium) announced the ambitious Stargate Project, which seeks to invest as much as $500 billion over the next four years in building out AI data centers and power generation plants to support OpenAI's never-ending growth strategy. Of course, that deal could be in peril given the meteoric rise of China's DeepSeek AI app, which offers parity performance to OpenAI's GPT-4o and o1 models at a small fraction of their required price and electrical power.

OpenAI to Jointly Develop AI Products With South Korean Tech Giant Kakao

ChatGPT creator OpenAI and South Korean mobile internet giant Kakao plan to jointly develop artificial-intelligence products for the local market. The companies said Tuesday that they plan to form a strategic partnership, under which Kakao will integrate OpenAI's technology for its products and services, including its widely used messaging app Kakao Talk, tailored to local users. Kakao said it will also deploy ChatGPT Enterprise, the version of ChatGPT aimed at large companies for business use, for its employees, and use OpenAI models to power its AI communication service Kanana, which Kakao describes as a "user-friendly AI mate that delivers personalized, context-aware responses." "We're excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao's millions of users and work together to integrate our technology into services that transform how Kakao's users communicate and connect," OpenAI Chief Executive Sam Altman said in a statement. Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a said the collaboration will help the South Korean company advance its AI efforts. The announcement was made at a joint press conference in Seoul on the back of Altman's visit to the country. Local media outlet Yonhap News Agency reported that he has met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who was accompanied by SK Hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, to discuss possible collaborations in AI.

OpenAI, Kakao to jointly develop AI products for South Korea

SEOUL (Reuters) - ChatGPT creator OpenAI and South Korea's dominant chat app operator Kakao said on Tuesday they plan to form a strategic partnership in which they will develop AI products for the Korean market. Kakao also said it will use OpenAI technology for its products. The announcement was made by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Kakao CEO Chung Shina during a press conference in Seoul. (Reporting by Hyunjoo Jin; Editing by Edwina Gibbs)

OpenAI to deepen services within South Korea's largest chat app

OpenAI said on Tuesday it will develop artificial intelligence products for South Korea with chat app operator Kakao, unveiling a second major alliance with a high-profile Asian partner this week. In a whirlwind tour through Asia, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman also announced a partnership with Japan's SoftBank on Monday and is, according to sources, scheduled to visit India on Wednesday where he is seeking to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Like SoftBank, Kakao said it would be using technology developed by the ChatGPT creator for its products.

Kakao announces partnership with OpenAI to use ChatGPT on its new AI service

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman arrives for a press conference with Kakao at a hotel in Seoul, Feb. 4. Yonhap Korean tech giant Kakao on Tuesday announced partnership with OpenAI to use ChatGPT on its new artificial intelligence (AI) service, joining a global alliance led by the U.S. AI company amid intensifying competition in the global AI market. "I am happy to share our partnership with OpenAI as part of our ambition for new innovation and a leap forward through AI in 2025," Kakao chief executive officer (CEO) Chung Shin-a said during a press event in Seoul. SK Chairman Chey Tae-won meets with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman 2025-02-04 10:40 | Companies "We are co-developing AI services for Kakao's 50 million users," she added. The collaboration with Kakao appeared to be part of OpenAI's strategic alliance move as the global AI industry is undergoing seismic shifts, particularly after the recent launch of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's latest models. The announcement of the partnership came as OpenAI founder and CEO Sam Altman is visiting Seoul for an OpenAI-hosted event for local AI startups and developers. (Yonhap)

OpenAI chief's Seoul visit fuels speculation on chip partnership

Open AI CEO Sam Altman speaks at the Roosevelt Room at the White House in Washington, Jan. 21. AFP-Yonhap Sam Altman set to announce surprising collab with KakaoBy Lee Min-hyung Expectations are growing that OpenAI CEO Sam Altman could sign a big surprise deal with Korea's semiconductor powerhouses -- Samsung Electronics and SK hynix -- during his upcoming Seoul visit in a move to strengthen the chip supply chain in an era of artificial intelligence (AI). Altman, the creator of the AI chatbot ChatGPT, plans to attend the Builder Lab developer workshop on Tuesday, where around 100 tech industry officials are expected to gather. This marks the first time OpenAI will hold its own event in Korea. All eyes are on whether he will meet with Korean chip moguls to elevate partnerships. According to the industry, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won is highly likely to hold a closed-door meeting with Altman for talks on a broad range of agendas, such as AI services, data centers and high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips. SK hynix, a chip affiliate of the group, is now enjoying its heyday on its preemptive inroads into HBM chips crucial for AI services. The chipmaker maintains close ties with Nvidia and a group of global Big Tech with the rapid rise of AI and its subsequently strong impact on other industries. This will be the first time in eight months that the heads of the two companies will possibly meet each other after Chey's visit to San Francisco in June 2024. However, it also remains to be seen whether Altman will also hold talks with Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong. In January 2024, Altman met with key Samsung executives in charge of the firm's memory chip business and foundry operations. He also visited the chipmaker's major production line in Pyeongtaek, Gyeonggi Province. On the same day, he met with Chey and SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung. Both Samsung and SK on Monday declined to confirm any potential meetings between their top executives and Altman in Seoul. SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks during a media event on the sidelines of this year's CES in Las Vegas, Jan. 8. Courtesy of SK Group Given Altman's keen interest in Korea, another major agenda is when OpenAI will be able to open an office in Seoul. In April last year, the company set up its first Asian office in Tokyo. It then expanded its foothold in the region by building another office in Singapore. Rumors are the Seoul office will open by the end of 2025. Following the Builder Lab event, Altman will discuss its partnership with Kakao by attending the latter's planned press conference. Kakao is the operator of Korea's leading mobile messenger. Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a and Altman will share details on how they will strengthen AI ties during the upcoming event. Last year, Kakao unveiled its vision to launch its own AI model called Kanana, with the company set to introduce it to the public sometime around the first quarter of this year. Chances are Kakao utilizes the AI model from OpenAI for the operation of Kanana. "As the head of OpenAI is sending repeated gestures to deepen partnerships with developers and tech firms here, there stands the possibility that the company [might open] a Seoul office faster than expected," an official from the tech industry said. In November, OpenAI forged a partnership with the Korea Development Bank to level up Korea's AI ecosystem.

OpenAI chief seeks Korean partners in global AI competition

OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, right, listens during a fireside chat with Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a during Kakao's media day event at The Plaza Seoul hotel, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul Kakao enters strategic collaboration with ChatGPT operatorBy Nam Hyun-woo OpenAI CEO Sam Altman strengthened the company's ties with a variety of Korean tech firms during his tightly packed visit to Seoul, Tuesday, forming a strategic collaboration with a domestic mobile messenger operator and meeting the heads of the world's top artificial intelligence (AI)-specific memory chip makers. The move for strengthened and expanded partnerships comes amid fresh competition in the AI market with the recent emergence of R1 made by China's startup DeepSeek. Altman appeared at Korean messaging giant Kakao's media day event at a hotel in central Seoul, where he announced the strategic cooperation between OpenAI and Kakao. It marked OpenAI's first-ever strategic collaboration with a Korean company. Under the agreement, the two sides will focus on developing and enhancing Kakao's services by leveraging OpenAI's advanced AI technology, tailored to the unique needs of KakaoTalk users, and making it more accessible. These efforts will include empowering Kakao's own AI agent Kanana with OpenAI's advanced models, integrating OpenAI technologies into Kakao's core services and developing an AI product jointly. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, right, shakes hands with Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a during Kakao's media day event at The Plaza Seoul hotel, Tuesday. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul "We have a shared vision of what AI can do and we are particularly interested in AI and messaging," Altman said during a fireside chat with Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a at the event. "I think there's a really rich thing to explore there that can improve the experience for a lot for users." He added: "Our mission is to maximize the benefits of AGI (artificial general intelligence) for everybody, and to do that requires not just great research, but to build great products. And we'd love to do that in the partnership. So I'll hopefully figure out how to build many future products that make people's lives better." Chung said the two sides came to the partnership because they share similar visions related to AI, and their partnership can bring opportunities for experimenting in AI services for consumers' direct use. WRTN launches 'secure' KakaoTalk-based DeepSeek AI service 2025-02-04 15:36 | Tech Chung noted that one of the reasons why Kakao believes OpenAI is its optimal partner is that OpenAI is drastically cutting costs for its AI services, which Altman also stressed as one of the most important matters. "So the people talk a lot about the AI capability improvement curve, but the AI cost reduction curve, I think that's been getting as much attention," he said, adding that OpenAI brought the cost down by "about a factor of 10" last year and someday its advanced GPT4 model will be able to run on smartphones. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, center, and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, right, walk after their meeting at The Plaza Seoul hotel, Tuesday. Yonhap Hours before the event, Altman held a closed-door Builder Lab workshop bringing together over 100 Korean AI developers. During the event, the OpenAI CEO stated the company's intention to expand its presence in the Korean market, acknowledging the country's industrial infrastructure for AI services. He also met SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and CEOs of SK hynix and SK Telecom. Details of their talks were unavailable, but they are assumed to have exchanged their opinions on SK hynix's AI-specific high-bandwidth memory (HBM) supply and SK Telecom's AI data center business. SK Telecom announced on Tuesday that six global companies, including itself and OpenAI, will team up with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) to establish an MIT Generative AI Impact Consortium to research commercialization and industrial applications of generative AI. Altman also met domestic game developer Krafton CEO Kim Chang-han. Last year, Krafton released Uncover the Smoking Gun, an AI-based chat game powered by OpenAI's GPT-4o. The OpenAI CEO then joined SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son and Samsung Electronics Executive Chairman Lee Jae-yong as well as Samsung's chip division heads at a Samsung office in southern Seoul's Seocho District. Further details of their meetings were unknown, but Son told reporters that their talks would be about "updates to (OpenAI's) Stargate project and potential cooperation with Samsung Group." SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son speaks to reporters during his visit to Samsung Electronics' office in Seocho District, Seoul, Tuesday. Yonhap The Stargate project is a $500 billion AI infrastructure project led by OpenAI and SoftBank, announced by U.S. President Donald Trump last month. It is a project by private companies, but is widely viewed as a driver to give the U.S. the leadership in the global AI competition while blocking China. Throughout his visit, Altman received questions on OpenAI's intentions for setting up a Korean unit and investing into Korea's national data center initiatives. The CEO refused to provide detailed answers, but said "AI adoption (in Korea) generally has been quite incredible, and there's so much in Korea that makes AI a good fit." "If you think about all the industry here, from energy to semiconductors to internet companies, it's really a sort of unlimitedly strong place for the adoption of AI," Altman said during the Kakao event. "It's an important market to us, it's growing superfast and we love to do partnerships like this." Altman's Seoul visit did not result in concrete deals or detailed plans for cooperation, but is viewed as a critical effort to expand the company's AI ties with Korean tech giants. This follows the rise of China's DeepSeek, which created a shock in the global tech world by demonstrating performances on par with ChatGPT with up to 95 percent less costs. "Stargate is meant to be a truly global initiative," Altman said. "The amount of companies in the supply chain that have to come together to make that happen is remarkable, and that is relevant to our earlier comments about Korea's (strength in the AI industry). There is so much happening in Korea that will be critical for that."

OpenAI doubles down on Asia, partners with Kakao after its big deal with SoftBank | TechCrunch

On the heels of Chinese AI firm DeepSeek making a huge splash in OpenAI's American backyard, OpenAI is diving into expanding in Asia, with major commercial deals that will also help it train its AI on more Asian-language content and user behavior -- a gateway to doing more business in these markets in the future on its own. Today, OpenAI unveiled a strategic collaboration with Kakao, the South Korea tech company that operates one of the region's most popular messaging apps, KakaoTalk. The move comes one day after SoftBank also announced a major commitment to using OpenAI: it has allocated a budget of $3 billion to deploy OpenAI tech across its various group operations and subsidiaries, as well as establish a joint venture, SB OpenAI Japan, to build solutions customized for enterprises in the country. Today's Kakao news was announced earlier today at an event in Seoul co-led by Kakao CEO Shina Chung and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, and it will initially cover three projects. The companies plan to develop a new Korean-language assistant called Kanana powered by OpenAI; OpenAI tech will be integrated into KakaoTalk; and Kakao will also become a customer of OpenAI's, using ChatGPT Enterprise internally among its employees. Meanwhile, the SoftBank announcement is just the latest development of what looks like a pretty deep-looking relationship between the two companies. SoftBank is also reportedly eyeing up a major investment in OpenAI -- yet to be confirmed -- and the two are in theory also working together on the Stargate project to build AI superservers and other infrastructure in the U.S.. On the surface, both of these partnerships are big commercial deals that will bring OpenAI services to new populations in their home languages. "Kakao has a deep understanding of how technology can enrich everyday lives, and they've consistently delivered innovative experiences for their users," Altman said in a statement. "We're excited to bring advanced AI to Kakao's millions of users and work together to integrate our technology into services that transform how Kakao's users communicate and connect." But beyond that, in both the case of Kako and SoftBank, the deals will benefit OpenAI in another very significant way. The U.S. company continues to build out and train its Large Language Models. Deals with major players in Korea and Japan, with their access to millions of consumers in their respective markets, gives OpenAI an opportunity to unlock new linguistic doors. This is especially important given DeepSeek. If the Chinese AI company proves to be more than just a viral flash in the pan -- and it doesn't get buried under a sea of legal issues around copyright, personal data protection, and more -- it will have proven to be a very clear signal to OpenAI that a company building outside of the U.S. has stolen a march on capturing English-language generative AI momentum. Thus, OpenAI needs to continue to expand its reach internationally, too, and that includes in terms of its ability to work just as well in different languages as it does in English. It's notable too because SoftBank at one point saw a very different route, and opening, for itself. Seizing the opportunity to build for its home language in an AI world largely dominated by English natural language services, in 2023, it announced a new company. SB Intuitions aimed to build LLMs and generative AI in Japanese. It's not clear what is happening with that business -- whether it never got off the ground, or whether that work will be rolled into the JV, or something else altogether. We have contacted the company and will update as we learn more. Apart from the collaboration with Kakao, Altman is using the moment to connect with other major Korean tech giants. He also took meetings with top executives at Samsung Electronics and Korean semiconductor maker SK Hynix to discuss custom-designed chips and AI-powered devices, per a local media report. OpenAI is joining other tech giants such as Google, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, all developing their own in-house AI chips. The latest strategic collaboration comes a day after OpenAI's joint venture announcement on Monday with SoftBank, which will spend $3 billion annually to implement the U.S. AI firm's solutions, including ChatGPT Enterprise, OpenAI's API and agents products like Operator, across its group companies. The Japanese tech giant and OpenAI have set up "SB OpenAI Japan," a JV that will exclusively offer the U.S. AI startup's enterprise technology to large enterprises in Japan. Last week, OpenAI introduced Operator, an agent capable of carrying out tasks like vacation planning and restaurant reservations on the web, and the o3-mini, the latest and most cost-effective reasoning model. The creator of ChatGPT also unveiled a new capability called Deep Research, which can perform in-depth internet research for complicated tasks. Arm, the chip designer from the U.K. acquired by SoftBank in 2016, will also use OpenAI tools to increase productivity, per SoftBank's statement. SoftBank is reportedly in talks to lead a funding round for OpenAI that could be worth as much as $40 billion and potentially value the company at $300 billion. Separately to this, last month, OpenAI said it will team up with SoftBank and Oracle to build multiple data centers for AI in the U.S., forming a joint venture called the Stargate Project. The project will kick off with a large data center in Texas. Initially, the three companies plan to invest $100 billion in Stargate and potentially contribute up to $500 billion to the project in the following four years.

OpenAI's SoftBank and Kakao Partnerships -- A Sign of Asia's Tech Opportunity

CEO Sam Altman is visiting Japan, South Korea, and India to promote OpenAI and forge new alliances. While China's DeepSeek breakthrough may have sparked a conversation about the future of American AI leadership, the continent of Asia also presents significant opportunities for U.S. firms. For example, OpenAI has recently signed important deals with Japan's SoftBank and South Korea's Kakao as it seeks to grow its footprint in strategically important Asian markets. OpenAI Expands Japanese Presence With SoftBank Partnership As OpenAI has grown from a tentative Silicon Valley startup to a global AI behemoth, it has put down roots in Japan, a country that has historically been among the first to embrace new technologies. After opening its first non-U.S. office in London, Tokyo was a logical next step for the company, which has since doubled down on Japanese language AI research and developed custom solutions for the local market. In October 2024, Japanese investor SoftBank agreed to invest $500 million in OpenAI as part of CEO Masayoshi Son's broader push into artificial intelligence. That initial investment was followed by a proposed $500 billion joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle to build new AI infrastructure in the U.S. Building on the recent Stargate announcement, on Feb. 3, Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed plans to set up another joint venture in Japan to offer AI services to corporate customers. As part of the deal, SoftBank will pay $3 billion per year for access to OpenAI's models. According to the Wall Street Journal, SoftBank also plans to top up its investment in OpenAI by as much as $25 billion in a deal that would make it the startup's biggest investor to date. Kakao Taps OpenAI for New AI Products Beyond Son and Altman's multibillion-dollar plans for the Japanese technology sector, OpenAI has also inked a deal with Kakao to build new AI products for the South Korean internet conglomerate. At a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 4, Altman and Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a announced a new partnership that will see Kakao integrate OpenAI models into its eponymous chat app and other services. Sam Altman Signals Deeper Ties With Asia While in South Korea, Altman also held meetings with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and SK Hynix CEO Kwak No-jung. Meanwhile, local media reported that Altman, Son, and Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong met to discuss potential cooperation on Stargate, which is expected to be a major AI hardware buyer going forward. Altman plans to complete his tour of Asia on Wednesday with a trip to India. There, he will meet with business leaders and senior government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw. As its CEO's schedule demonstrates, OpenAI is increasingly looking east for new customers, investors, and partnerships as the American company looks to cement an enduring role in the global AI ecosystem.

OpenAI to Deepen Services Within Korea's Largest Social Media

Kakao Corp. and OpenAI have agreed to integrate ChatGPT and other AI services more deeply into Korea's largest social media platform, another significant customer win for Sam Altman's startup. The OpenAI chief joined Kakao Chief Executive Officer Shina Chung in Seoul to announce the strategic partnership, which will include joint product development and the use of more OpenAI technology in services like KakaoTalk.

Kakao Stock Surges 9%, Then Dips Following OpenAI Partnership

The release of the Chinese AI chatbot DeepSeek has cast doubt over the dominance of U.S. AI firms. Kakao has seen a pullback in its share price after a record surge following the announcement that it was teaming up with artificial intelligence giant OpenAI. The partnership marks OpenAI's second significant deal with an Asian company this week as the AI firm looks to make a mark internationally. Kakao Shares Drop In anticipation of its link up with OpenAI, Kakao shares surged 9% on Monday to close at 41,800 won, the highest point since December 2024. However, following Tuesday's official announcement from Altman and Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a, shares pulled back 2% to 40,700 won. The two executives said the companies planned to develop a new Korean-language assistant called Kanana, powered by OpenAI. OpenAI technology will also be integrated into KakaoTalk, South Korea's largest chat app run by Kakao. Kakao will also become an enterprise customer of OpenAI, deploying ChatGPT Enterprise internally among its employees. "Korea is a very impressive market," Altman said at the press event . "The adoption of AI in Korea is remarkably advanced. Considering various industries, from energy to semiconductors and internet companies, there is a very strong environment conducive to applying AI." "It is a market that is extremely important to us and is growing rapidly," he added. OpenAI and SoftBank The Kakao announcement came just a day after OpenAI and Japanese investor SoftBank unveiled plans to expand their partnership to bring AI to Japanese corporate customers. CEO Masayoshi Son announced that SoftBank would pay OpenAI $3 billion for unlimited access to its large language models. The deal builds upon SoftBank's October 2024 agreement to invest $500 million in OpenAI. Son has been looking to expand SoftBank's AI capabilities, previously slamming Japanese companies for not using enough AI. DeepSeek Spurs Global Expansion The recent release of DeepSeek, a Chinese AI chatbot understood to be made at a fraction of the cost, has soared in popularity and become a top-downloaded app in the U.S. DeepSeek's sudden rise to fame has cast concerns over American AI firms' global leadership and security as leading powerhouses. This has likely spurred AI firms such as OpenAI, which makes significantly more expensive large language models, to consider quicker routes to reaching internationally. If DeepSeek can circumvent regulatory issues and scrutiny, such as personal data protection and copyright, it will have proven how easy it is to break into the U.S. market at a much cheaper price.

OpenAI's Sam Altman clinches deal with Kakao in whirlwind Asia tour

OpenAI's Sam Altman clinches deal with Kakao in whirlwind Asia tour OpenAI said on Tuesday it will develop artificial intelligence products for South Korea with chat app operator Kakao, unveiling a second major alliance with a high-profile Asian partner this week. Julian Satterthwaite reports.

OpenAI founder Altman to visit Korea for AI event, meeting with biz leaders

OpenAI founder Altman to visit Korea for AI event, meeting with biz leaders OpenAI CEO Sam Altman speaks during a press conference in Tokyo, Feb.3. AFP-Yonhap Sam Altman, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of U.S. artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI, will visit Korea this week for an event with local developers amid an intensifying global AI race, industry sources said Monday. OpenAI will hold the "Builder Lab" event in Seoul on Tuesday, bringing together Korean AI companies and startups, with Altman in attendance, according to the sources. It will be Altman's third visit to Korea, following his latest trip here in January 2024, when he toured Samsung Electronics's production facility in Pyeongtaek, south of Seoul. His Seoul visit is drawing close attention as the global AI industry is undergoing seismic shifts, particularly after the recent launch of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's latest models. Altman is expected to announce collaboration with Korean tech company Kakao on Tuesday. Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a is scheduled to hold a press conference on the same day. Kakao introduced its new integrated AI brand, Kanana, last year and plans to launch its service later in 2025. Industry sources predict that Kakao will integrate OpenAI's model into its AI platform. Beyond those events, Altman is expected to meet with Korean business leaders, including SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, to explore potential AI collaborations. Altman and Chey previously met two times last year. The OpenAI CEO is also expected to have talks with officials from Samsung Electronics, but it was still not clear whether Altman will meet with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong. (Yonhap)

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won meets with OpenAI CEO Sam Altman

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won speaks during a press conference at the Las Vegas Convention Center at CES 2025, in this photo provided by SK Group, Las Vegas, Nev., U.S., Jan. 8. Yonhap SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won met with Open AI founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Sam Altman in Seoul on Tuesday, discussing ways to enhance cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI), industry sources said. Chey was accompanied by SK hynix CEO Kwak Noh-jung, and the discussion focused on collaboration in AI memory chips, including high bandwidth memory (HBM), as well as AI services, according to the sources. This meeting followed the previous discussions between Chey and Altman in Seoul in January 2024 and in the United States in July. Altman is visiting Seoul as part of an event hosted by OpenAI for local AI startups and developers. He was also expected to meet with Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong later in the day. During his visit last year, he toured a Samsung Electronics facility. Altman's Seoul trip is drawing close attention as the global AI industry is undergoing seismic shifts, particularly after the recent launch of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek's latest models. In what appeared to be a strategic alliance move, OpenAI was set to announce a collaboration with Korean tech giant Kakao later in the day. (Yonhap)