Samsung's "Do-or-Die" Struggle in the AI Era: Chairman Lee Calls for Urgent Action

Samsung's Crisis in the AI Era

Samsung Electronics, the world's largest memory-chip maker, is grappling with a severe crisis as it struggles to maintain its competitive edge in the rapidly evolving artificial intelligence (AI) landscape. Chairman Lee Jae-yong has issued a stark warning to the company's executives, describing the situation as a "do-or-die survival issue" 1

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Declining Market Share and Technological Challenges

Samsung has been facing declining market shares across multiple sectors, including TVs, smartphones, and DRAM. The company's global market share in TVs fell from 30.1% in 2023 to 28.3% in 2024, while its smartphone market share dropped from 19.7% to 18.3% during the same period 4

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. However, the most significant challenge lies in the AI semiconductor market, particularly in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) chips.

The South Korean giant has been struggling to meet the requirements of Nvidia, a key player in AI graphics processing units (GPUs). Rival SK hynix has emerged as Nvidia's main supplier of HBM chips, further intensifying the competition 2

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Chairman Lee's Call to Action

In a rare and candid address to approximately 2,000 executives from Samsung's various affiliates, Chairman Lee Jae-yong emphasized the need for a strategic shift in the company's approach. He urged executives to:

1. Adopt a "death-defying" mindset to tackle AI-related challenges 3

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2. Reflect deeply on the current situation and prepare for difficult measures 1

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3. Prioritize long-term investments over short-term profits 5

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Financial Impact and Future Outlook

Samsung's financial performance has been affected by these challenges. The company's operating profit sank almost a third in the fourth quarter of the previous year, partly due to increased spending on research 5

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. Analysts forecast that Samsung Electronics' first-quarter operating profit could decline by 22.5% 4

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Despite these setbacks, Samsung's stock reacted positively to Lee's tough talk, climbing more than five percent on Monday 1

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. The company is now focused on restoring what it calls "Samsung's true identity" through internal seminars and strategic initiatives.

Legal Challenges and Leadership

Chairman Lee's efforts to lead Samsung through this crisis have been complicated by ongoing legal troubles. While he was recently acquitted of fraud and stock-rigging charges related to a controversial 2015 merger, prosecutors have appealed the ruling to the Supreme Court 1

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As Samsung prepares for its annual shareholders' meeting on March 19, all eyes are on the company's strategy to address these growing challenges and maintain its position as a global tech leader in the AI-driven future.