Microsoft is gearing up to host top executives from leading technology firms in South Korea next month to strengthen its AI partnerships.

The upcoming high-level gathering, named the MS CEO Summit 2024, is scheduled for May 14, 2024, and will feature Microsoft’s founder Bill Gates and Chairman and CEO Satya Nadella. They will engage in closed-door discussions with Kyung Kye-hyun of Samsung, Kwak Noh-jung of SK Hynix, Cho Joo-wan of LG Electronics, and Ryu Young-sang of SK Telecom.

According to sources from The Korea Economic Daily, Microsoft intends to explore collaborative ventures in AI technology across various sectors. Talks with Samsung and SK Hynix are likely to focus on joint development and supply of AI chips.

Samsung and SK Hynix are globally recognized as leading memory chipmakers and have the potential to enhance Microsoft’s server capabilities with cutting-edge technologies like High-Bandwidth Memory (HBM) AI chips and solid-state drives (SSDs).

Discussions with LG Electronics will revolve around integrating AI technologies into home appliances, a strategic move to bolster Microsoft’s competitiveness against rivals like Google and Meta. With SK Telecom, Microsoft aims to delve deeper into cloud and 5G services.

These discussions come at an opportune time, given the increasing emphasis on AI development in the global tech landscape. By potentially integrating Microsoft’s AI services into products like Samsung’s smartphones and LG’s home appliances, Microsoft could significantly bolster its market position.

Kyung of Samsung’s Device Solutions recently hinted that their new AI accelerators, Mach-1 and Mach-2, are nearing mass production. These accelerators are designed to optimize the synergy between GPUs and HBM chips, promising a revolution in processing speeds. Additionally, Samsung recently unveiled the industry’s first LPDDR5X DRAM, aimed at enhancing on-device AI capabilities.

Under CEO Ryu, SK Telecom leads the Global Telco AI Alliance (GTAA), a consortium comprising major global players like Deutsche Telekom and SingTel. The GTAA aims to develop AI infrastructure and generative AI services for a customer base exceeding 1.3 billion globally.

Last year, SK Telecom invested $100 million in AI startup Anthropic to develop a large language model (LLM) specifically for telcos. This collaborative effort extends to the Telco AI Platform, an ongoing project initiated by the GTAA.

The MS CEO Summit 2024 offers a significant opportunity for enhanced AI cooperation and technological advancement, cementing Microsoft’s position as a key player in the industry.