AMD CEO Lisa Su is teaming up with 14 South Korean artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor companies to build heterogeneous AI infrastructure combining AMD central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs) with domestic AI chips.

The initiative aims to demonstrate heterogeneous computing infrastructure in South Korea and develop it into a reference model that can be utilized in the global market, while also supporting domestic companies in participating in AMD's open-source software platform ROCm ecosystem and expanding overseas.

This collaboration is a follow-up to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Ministry of Science and ICT and AMD last July. It focuses on officially connecting the domestic AI semiconductor ecosystem with AMD's global AI ecosystem, following the establishment of the AMD AI Research Center of Excellence (CoE) and the nurturing of AI and AI transformation (AX) talent.

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced that 2nd Vice Minister Ryu Je-myung met with AMD CEO Lisa Su at the Four Seasons Hotel Seoul today (the 7th), followed by a roundtable meeting with 14 companies from the domestic AI semiconductor ecosystem.

This meeting was arranged as a follow-up to the MOU signed between the Ministry of Science and ICT and AMD on the occasion of President Lee Jae-myung's visit to the San Francisco AI Summit last July.

Accordingly, both sides agreed to proceed without disruption with existing cooperation tasks, including the establishment of the AMD AI Research Center of Excellence (CoE) within the year and the training of graduate talent in the fields of artificial intelligence (AI) and artificial intelligence transformation (AX).

In addition, they decided to build heterogeneous computing infrastructure that jointly utilizes AMD CPUs and GPUs alongside domestic AI semiconductors in connection with domestic demonstration projects.

The plan is to develop this beyond South Korea into a reference model applicable in the global market.

The two sides also widely discussed major issues in the global AI industry, changes in the AI computing market, and future directions for cooperation.

Marking CEO Lisa Su's visit to South Korea, an opportunity was arranged for domestic AI semiconductor and AI ecosystem companies to meet directly with AMD's top management to explore possibilities for collaboration.

The roundtable was attended by 14 domestic companies spanning all areas of AI infrastructure, including domestic neural processing units (NPUs), software, memory and storage, networking, cloud, and AI models.

The participating companies include Rebellions, FuriosaAI, Hyper Accelerator, DeepX, Mobilint, MangoBoost, Panmnesia, Dinotisia, More, Nota AI, Lablup, Fadu, Elice Group, and Upstage.

Attendees discussed ways to link AMD's CPUs and GPUs with domestic AI semiconductors, as well as strategies to participate in the ROCm ecosystem, an open-source-based AI and high-performance computing software platform.

They also shared cooperation measures to support the global market entry of domestic AI semiconductor companies and ideas to connect each company's technologies and services with AMD's global AI ecosystem.

Describing South Korea as an important cooperative partner for AMD, CEO Lisa Su stated, "As South Korea enhances its competitiveness in the AI sector, AMD will work together with outstanding domestic companies to create new cooperation opportunities."

She added, "As AMD has expanded connections between various technologies and companies based on an open ecosystem, we will actively cooperate with South Korean companies possessing excellent technological prowess to help them connect to the global AI ecosystem."

Vice Minister Ryu remarked, "Beginning with today's meeting, I hope that AMD's global capabilities and our companies' technological strengths will combine to create new AI technologies and businesses, serving as an opportunity for the domestic AI semiconductor ecosystem to grow to the next level."
 
(Photo: Yonhap News)