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OpenAI Partners with Kakao and Explores Stargate Project with SoftBank and Samsung

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OpenAI has announced a significant partnership with South Korea’s Kakao, marking a second high-profile alliance in Asia this week. The collaboration will focus on developing artificial intelligence products tailored for the South Korean market. Kakao, known for operating the popular messaging app KakaoTalk, which holds 97% of the local market share, is keen on leveraging OpenAI’s technology to fuel its expansion into AI, e-commerce, payments, and gaming. Despite its efforts, analysts note Kakao has lagged behind local rival Naver in the AI sector.

OpenAI’s CEO, Sam Altman, who is currently on a tour of Asia, also met with executives from Samsung Electronics, SoftBank, and Arm Holdings in Seoul. Discussions centered around the Stargate project, an AI data centre initiative in the U.S. that is supported by U.S. President Donald Trump. SoftBank’s Masayoshi Son confirmed that potential cooperation between SoftBank, Samsung, and OpenAI regarding Stargate was discussed, though no specific details were shared. Altman declined to comment on the partnership talks, emphasizing the need for confidentiality.

The Stargate initiative aims to enhance AI capabilities in the U.S. through a collaboration between OpenAI and Oracle. Altman mentioned that several South Korean companies, particularly those in energy, semiconductors, and the internet, would play a crucial role in supporting the project. Furthermore, discussions were held with SK Group’s chairman, Chey Tae-won, regarding potential collaborations in AI chips and the broader AI ecosystem, with both Samsung and SK Hynix producing essential memory chips for AI processors.

OpenAI is also actively considering involvement in South Korea’s national AI computing centre project, which is expected to attract up to 2 trillion won ($1.4 billion) in public and private investment. This marks a continued push by OpenAI to expand its presence in Asia and solidify partnerships with major players in the region.

Following the announcement, Kakao’s stock fell by 2%, reversing the 9% surge it experienced the previous day.

 

South Korea Privacy Watchdog to Inquire About DeepSeek’s Use of Personal Information

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South Korea’s Personal Information Protection Commission (PIPC) plans to send a written request to DeepSeek, a Chinese artificial intelligence company, regarding its handling of personal information. The commission is seeking clarification on how DeepSeek manages user data. This investigation follows similar actions from privacy authorities in other countries, including France, Italy, and Ireland, who are also examining DeepSeek’s data practices.

 

Samsung Q4 Earnings Expected to Be Hit by Nvidia AI Chip Supply Delay

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Samsung Electronics (005930.KS), the world’s largest memory chip maker, is forecasted to report slowed profit growth in the fourth quarter, as it struggles to meet Nvidia’s (NVDA.O) soaring demand for AI chips. Despite an expected operating profit of 8.2 trillion won ($5.6 billion) in the quarter ending December, up from 2.8 trillion won a year ago, this figure represents a decline from the previous quarter’s 9.18 trillion won.

Analysts have recently revised their earnings forecasts downward, with some projecting Samsung’s operating profit to fall below 8 trillion won. A key issue has been delays in Samsung’s supply of high-end AI chips to Nvidia, which has continued to impact Samsung’s earnings, despite an October apology from the company for its third-quarter performance and an earlier pledge to address the chip shortage.

In November, Samsung reshuffled its chip division leadership, naming its chip division chief co-CEO and granting him direct control over the struggling memory chip business. Meanwhile, Samsung’s shares fell 32% last year, underperforming the broader market’s 10% decline.

Contrastingly, SK Hynix (000660.KS), a major supplier of advanced AI memory chips to Nvidia, is expected to report record earnings for the fourth quarter, benefiting from strong demand for its products.

The broader semiconductor market is facing additional pressure, with weaker demand for traditional chips used in smartphones and PCs, and rising competition from Chinese chipmakers, leading to declining chip prices. DRAM prices, particularly DDR4 chips used in personal computers, have dropped as much as 13% in Q4 and are expected to fall another 15% in the current quarter, according to TrendForce.

The South Korean won’s depreciation in December to its weakest level in 15 years, fueled by political instability and concerns over U.S. tariffs under President-elect Trump, has provided some relief in the form of increased overseas earnings, but this has not been enough to offset weak chip prices.

Samsung is expected to release detailed results later in January, offering a breakdown of its earnings by business segment.