SK Group Hosts ‘SK AI Summit 2024’ to Drive Global AI Exchange and Innovation

SK Chairman Tae-won Chey: “Contributing to the Development of a Global AI Ecosystem by Leveraging SK’s Capabilities and Partnerships, Both Domestic and Global”

• Event being held at COEX Convention Center in Seoul from November 4-5; gathering global AI leaders, including SK Chairman and the CEO of OpenAI
• Chey: “We will address the ‘AI bottleneck’ by integrating solutions from SK and our top global partners”
• CEOs of Microsoft, NVIDIA, and TSMC shared messages and participated in video discussions, highlighting their commitment to continuing collaboration with SK in AI and working together to shape the future of humanity
• Event included over 10 sessions featuring keynote presentations and expert discussions covering all aspects of AI, from infrastructure and energy to services

SEOUL, November 4, 2024 – SK Group Chairman Tae-won Chey expressed his ambition to strengthen the global Artificial Intelligence (AI) ecosystem by combining SK’s AI capabilities with partnerships across domestic and international companies. He also outlined plans to contribute to the development of Korea’s AI ecosystem and support local companies in entering the global stage based on SK’s AI infrastructure.

Chey made these remarks during his keynote speech at the “SK AI Summit 2024,” held at the COEX Convention & Exhibition Center in Seoul on Monday. The event, running until Tuesday under the theme “AI Together, AI Tomorrow,” is the largest AI symposium in Korea organized by SK Group, the second-largest conglomerate in Korea with global leading businesses in semiconductors, telecommunications, energy and life sciences. The event is featuring prominent figures from leading global AI companies, scholars and experts participating in person or virtually. 

In his opening day keynote, Chey explained the purpose of the event, stating, “As this year’s slogan suggests, collaboration among many is essential for the future of AI.”

Chey further pointed out, “While many claim to ‘understand’ AI, there is still much we do not know, and numerous complex challenges remain that require collaborative problem-solving among leaders from various fields. AI is a technology that will bring profound changes to our lives and society, and to guide these changes in a positive direction, we all need to work together.”

Chairman Chey went on to identify several bottlenecks that must be addressed for AI to continue its growth, outlining five key challenges: the lack of “killer use cases” and viable ROI models for AI investments, shortages in AI accelerators and semiconductor supplies, limited capacity in advanced manufacturing processes, energy supply issues for AI infrastructure, and difficulties in securing high-quality data.

In this regard, Chairman Chey noted, “SK is one of the few companies globally capable of spanning from semiconductors to energy, data center development and operation, and service innovation,” adding, “We are collaborating with top partners in each field to address these gaps.” He outlined his vision, stating, “SK aims to bundle various solutions from our partners to resolve AI bottlenecks and accelerate global AI innovation, enabling more advanced AI to reach our lives sooner.”

Chey specifically emphasized that “Korea has played a leading role in the internet era, and to continue this leadership into the AI era, investment in AI infrastructure is crucial.” He highlighted the importance of building large-scale AI data centers, securing quality data, and nurturing talent suited to the AI age. “SK is committed to supporting the growth of those embracing new challenges and fostering the AI ecosystem within Korea through our AI infrastructure,” he stated.

Global Big Tech Companies Gather to Collaborate on AI Ecosystem Development

The keynote session drew even more attention as top global tech leaders, who have maintained close partnerships with Chairman Chey over the years, made surprise video appearances to share their perspectives on AI development and collaboration. Notably, Chairman Chey has personally led SK Group’s AI task force to foster active collaboration models with these global tech giants.

Prominent figures participating via video included Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft; Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA; C.C. Wei, Chairman and CEO of TSMC; and David Patterson, Turing Award-winning computer scientist and professor at the University of California at Berkeley. They highlighted the importance of joint efforts in the evolving AI landscape.

Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, noted the importance of the partnership with SK in building a collaborative AI ecosystem that supports industries from telecommunications and semiconductors to energy and materials. He highlighted the progress made through joint efforts, including integrating SK’s high-bandwidth memory (HBM) into Microsoft’s data centers and innovations with Microsoft Fabric, and expressed anticipation for further strengthening the partnership to build a robust global AI ecosystem.

Jensen Huang, founder and CEO of NVIDIA, engaged in a special dialogue on “AI Semiconductor Collaboration” with Professor David Patterson, a leading expert in computer architecture and design. Huang remarked, “The next industrial revolution has begun, and we realize the immense potential before us,” adding that “Our partnership with SK hynix has been transformative for the AI industry, and we look forward to creating the future of AI and humanity together.” 

“Congratulations to Chairman Tony Chey and the SK Group team for making this incredible event happen and gathering global AI leaders together to shape the future of AI,” said TSMC Chairman & CEO C.C. Wei. “This spirit of partnership is what excites me most about the future. Only through closer and deeper collaboration across the entire ecosystem, will we be able to unlock new possibilities. Together, we can accelerate the AI revolution and build solutions that are scalable and sustainable that will make our world better.”

Notably, Greg Brockman, Chairman and President of OpenAI, took the stage for a live discussion titled “The Future of AI,” further contributing to the event’s high level of engagement.

SK Telecom and SK hynix Present Future AI Strategies

CEOs leading SK Group’s AI initiatives also took the stage. 

Young-sang Ryu, CEO of SK Telecom, unveiled plans for building an “AI Infrastructure Superhighway” during his keynote speech and discussed strategies for creating an infrastructure-based AI ecosystem in collaboration with SK’s domestic and overseas partners. Ryu also participated in a panel discussion later in the afternoon alongside Stephen Balaban, CEO of Lambda; Mark Adams, CEO of Penguin Solutions; and Professor Alice Oh of the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), delving into collaborative approaches for AI infrastructure.

Noh-Jung Kwak, CEO of SK hynix, delivered a keynote titled “A New Journey in Next-Generation AI Memory: Beyond Hardware to Daily Life.” In his speech, Kwak outlined the evolving significance of memory semiconductors over time and introduced the products and technologies designed to lead the AI era, presenting SK hynix’s vision as a “Total AI Memory Provider.” 

Platform for Exchanges in the AI Involving Global and Domestic Experts

The first afternoon of the event featured live presentations from prominent international figures, each focusing on different aspects of AI. Rani Borkar, Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, spoke on “Infrastructure Innovation for Pioneering Future AI,” Mark Adams, CEO of Penguin Solutions, discussed “AI Infrastructure,” Chris Levesque, CEO of TerraPower, discussed “Nuclear Power for AI Energy Supply,” and Aravind Srinivas, CEO of Perplexity, presented on “AI Services.”

The second day of the event, November 5, will feature additional presentations and panel discussions focused on AI infrastructure, semiconductors, and services, including contributions from the K-AI Alliance and the Global Telco AI Alliance. During the “National AI Strategy” session, Jae-ho Yeom, Vice Chairman of the National AI Committee; Sung-hyun Park, CEO of Rebellion; Professor Alice Oh from KAIST; and Shina Chung, CEO of Kakao, will explore the theme “Enhancing National Competitiveness through AI.” 

An SK Group representative stated, “The SK AI Summit is expected to serve as a platform for exchange, bringing together top-tier experts from the private sector, government and academia, and all those interested in AI, and play a central role in the formation of an AI ecosystem. SK is committed to reinforcing its AI portfolio, solidifying its foundation and expanding global cooperation to proactively lead the future AI era.”

About SK

SK Group is South Korea’s second-largest conglomerate with a mission to advance businesses and industries driving global progress. With 213 companies and over 100,000 employees worldwide, SK businesses have a shared commitment to create economic value while having a positive impact on society. SK companies are global leaders in semiconductors, telecommunications, energy and life sciences. These businesses are developing carbon reduction, renewable energy and artificial intelligence technologies to make a smarter, more sustainable world. For more information on SK, visit https://eng.sk.com/.

U.S. Media Contacts:

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