Technology

OpenAI and Kakao Partner to Develop AI Innovations for South Korea

Published On Tue, 04 Feb 2025
Rajiv Shekhawat
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OpenAI announced on Tuesday (Feb 4) that it will collaborate with Kakao, South Korea’s leading chat app operator, to develop AI-powered products. This marks OpenAI’s second major partnership in Asia this week, following its alliance with Japan’s SoftBank. As part of his Asia tour, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman is set to visit India next, where he hopes to meet with Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Kakao, which dominates the South Korean messaging market with KakaoTalk and has expanded into e-commerce, payments, and gaming, will integrate OpenAI’s technology into its services. The company has been pushing AI as a growth driver but has lagged behind rival Naver in the field.
Speaking alongside Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a at a press conference in Seoul, Altman highlighted OpenAI’s interest in AI-driven messaging and noted that many Korean companies will play a key role in the US-based Stargate AI data center project. Altman also met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and is expected to hold discussions with Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee and SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son later in the day, according to local media. SK Hynix and Samsung Electronics, both major producers of AI-related memory chips, could be key partners in future AI ventures.
Last month, US President Donald Trump announced up to $500 billion in private investment for AI infrastructure, including OpenAI, SoftBank, and Oracle’s Stargate project. Altman emphasized South Korea’s importance in AI development, citing its semiconductor, energy, and internet industries. He also confirmed that OpenAI is "actively considering" joining South Korea’s planned $1.4 billion national AI computing center project. Following the announcement, Kakao’s stock saw a modest increase, having already surged 9% the previous day.
Disclaimer: This image is taken from Reuters.