OpenAI partners with South Korea Kakao to develop AI products

The announcement was made on Tuesday during OpenAI CEO Sam Altman’s visit to South Korea as part of a broader tour across Asia.

The agreement marks OpenAI’s second major collaboration with an Asian firm in the same week.

Altman had earlier confirmed a partnership with Japan’s SoftBank Group, named SB OpenAI Japan, to provide AI services to corporate clients in Japan

Kakao to integrate OpenAI technology 

Like SoftBank, Kakao intends to integrate OpenAI’s advanced AI models into its products. Kakao operates KakaoTalk, the dominant messaging platform in South Korea with a 97% domestic market share.

The company has also diversified into e-commerce, payments, and gaming. While Kakao has positioned AI as a key growth driver, analysts note that it has been trailing behind its local competitor, Naver, in the AI space.

At a press conference in Seoul, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman emphasized the connection between AI and messaging, stating their strong interest in the field.

“We are particularly interested in AI and messaging.” 

However, he refrained from providing further details, explaining, “We want to keep partnership conversations confidential.” 

As part of his engagements in South Korea, Altman met with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won earlier on Tuesday.

He is also scheduled to hold discussions with Samsung Chairman Jay Y. Lee and SoftBank Group CEO Masayoshi Son in Seoul later in the day, according to Maeil Business Newspaper.

Meanwhile, Son, who is exploring potential AI collaborations, told reporters on Tuesday that discussions with Samsung would cover Stargate updates and “potential cooperation.”

When asked whether he would seek Samsung’s investment in the project, Son stated, “Nothing specific,” adding that initial cooperation talks must take place first.

What you should know 

In recent years, numerous companies across various sectors have increasingly integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations to enhance efficiency, drive innovation, and maintain competitive advantage.

In recent years, numerous companies across various sectors have increasingly integrated artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations to enhance efficiency, drive innovation, and maintain competitive advantage.