Samsung May Have Hit Setback in Making OpenAI AI Chips

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Samsung may have hit a setback in its ambition to make custom AI chips for OpenAI. The project reportedly has stalled due to strategic differences between the two companies. This comes at a time when demand for cutting-edge AI chips is growing.

Samsung and OpenAI’s custom chip development project reportedly halts

Samsung and OpenAI have reportedly been developing custom AI chips. They built an inference NPU using ARM-based IP and saw substantial progress during the preliminary development phase. However, the collaboration has now reportedly come to a halt, according to Korean media.

If the report turns out to be true, it would be a huge setback for Samsung. The Korean foundry is trying to regain momentum in its loss-making business amid the AI boom. Despite being the world’s second-largest foundry player, it has failed to attract major global clients as much as its arch-rival, industry leader TSMC.

In the 2nm era, Samsung has made significant improvements to its process technology, attracting clients around the world. For example, the company will make Tesla’s AI5 and AI6 processors. It is also making Nvidia Groq 3, the next-gen language processing unit, using a 4nm process.

As a result, Samsung’s Foundry unit may see profits sometime next year. So, securing a contract with OpenAI would have been a big boost for its foundry ambitions.

Now, all eyes are on whether Samsung and Anthropic, the AI firm behind Claude, will ink a deal. Samsung has recently invested in Anthropic and has become a strategic infrastructure partner. This could open the door for future collaboration in AI chip manufacturing.

Anthropic urgently needs inference chips to meet the increasing demand for Claude. The company also needs a foundry capable of supporting rapid mass production. As a result, cooperation with Samsung appears more likely, though, like the OpenAI case, it still remains doubtful.

Written by

Binay Konwar

Binay Konwar started his blogging journey in 2014 and has since written plenty of tech articles. At present, he is working as a News Writer at SammyGuru, covering everything about Samsung. He holds a Master's degree in Mathematics, but his real passion lies in tech and writing. In his free time, he enjoys playing chess and watching movies.

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