Naver to develop Arabic-based LLM, expand AI cooperation with Saudi Arabia

Naver Corp., the operator of South Korea's largest internet platform, has signed an initial agreement with Saudi Arabia's artificial intelligence (AI) agency to jointly develop an Arabic language-based large language model (LLM), company officials said Friday. During the Global AI Summit hosted by the Saudi Data & AI Authority (SDAIA) in Saudi Arabia's capital of Riyadh earlier this week, Naver and the SDAIA signed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) to cooperate in various

Sept. 13, 2024

Samsung’s yearly dilemma looms: Exynos vs. Snapdragon

A seasonal dilemma looms over Samsung Electronics’ flagship Galaxy S phones: using more its own Exynos processors or sticking to rival Qualcomm’s Snapdragon chips. Samsung has poured considerable resources for years into equipping its most important smartphone lineup with its own chipset so that it could expand its presence not just in chip production but also in chip design, while reducing production costs. But industry sources say that the upcoming Galaxy S phones, tentatively call

Sept. 12, 2024

Nvidia CEO hints at possibility using Samsung to make GPUs

Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang raised the possibility of fabricating its cutting-edge graphic processing units at foundries other than Taiwan-based TSMC, making Samsung Electronics a likely alternative. At Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference in San Francisco, California on Wednesday, Huang said he is willing to consider other companies to produce Nvidia's chips "if necessary," acknowledging the brewing geopolitical tension between Taiwan and China. "We use them (TSM

Sept. 12, 2024

Samsung produces industry’s first 1-terabit QLC 9th-gen V-NAND

Samsung Electronics, the world's No. 1 memory chipmaker, said Thursday it has begun mass production of its one-terabit quad-level cell ninth-generation vertical NAND, solidifying its leadership in the high-capacity and high-performance NAND flash market. It is the industry’s first mass production of QLD ninth-generation V-NAND, followed by its first triple-level cell ninth-generation V-NAND production in April this year. “Kicking off the successful mass production of QLC ninth-g

Sept. 12, 2024

[Photo News] Glimpse into SKT's AI strategy

SK Telecom welcomed 35 UCLA eMBA students to its Seoul headquarters on Wednesday, offering an exclusive look into its innovative AI strategies. The nation's top telecom carrier delivered presentations on its AI Pyramid Strategy and outlined plans to expand its global business through the Global Telco AI Alliance – a partnership with global telecom companies focused on advancing AI-powered services. As part of UCLA Anderson School of Management’s International Business Resident

Sept. 12, 2024

US ups pressure on Korea to join China chip curbs

The US is ramping up pressure on South Korea to align with its export control measures against China, urging advanced chips like High Bandwidth Memory be provided only to allies. As additional trade restrictions are expected, experts here say it is important for the Korean government and chipmakers to keep up negotiations to protect Korea's interests. In his latest remark on Tuesday, US Under Secretary of Commerce for Industry and Security Alan Estevez called on Korean chipmakers to supply

Sept. 11, 2024

Why does Apple have to pay Ireland $14.4 billion?

LONDON (Reuters) -- Apple lost a long-running court battle with the European Union on Tuesday, resulting in the company being forced to pay 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in back taxes to Ireland, as part of a wider crackdown on so-called "sweetheart deals." What happened? In 2016, the European Commission’s competition chief Margrethe Vestager accused Ireland of having granted Apple illegal tax benefits, unfairly diverting investment away from other countries. Both Apple and

Sept. 10, 2024

SpaceX launches billionaire to conduct the first private spacewalk

CAPE CANAVERAL (AP) -- A daredevil billionaire rocketed back into orbit Tuesday, aiming to perform the first private spacewalk and venture farther than anyone since NASA's Apollo moonshots. Unlike his previous chartered flight, tech entrepreneur Jared Isaacman shared the cost with SpaceX this time around, which included developing and testing brand new spacesuits to see how they'll hold up in the harsh vacuum. If all goes as planned, it will be the first time private citizens conduct a

Sept. 10, 2024

EcoPro founder returns to work, tasked with surviving EV chasm

EcoPro’s former Chairman Lee Dong-chae has returned to management after a yearlong hiatus, at a critical time when the battery materials maker and the entire EV industry are reeling from slowing demand. According to the company on Tuesday, Lee was recently named an executive adviser on the board following a presidential pardon granted last month. He had been serving prison time for insider trading since May last year. It remains to be seen when Lee could be reinstated as chairman, but expe

Sept. 10, 2024

Samsung-Apple rivalry renewed as first AI iPhone debuts

Apple has launched the first generation of its artificial intelligence-focused smartphone series, the new iPhone 16 and iPhone 16 Pro, which are highly anticipated to go up against its rival Samsung Electronics' Galaxy S24, touted as the "world's first AI smartphone." To the disappointment of users in South Korea and countries outside the US, however, Apple is expected to introduce the full and multilingual version of its much-hyped Apple Intelligence next year. “The ne

Sept. 10, 2024

Hanwha, SK develop world’s 1st non-flammable ESS for ships

Hanwha Aerospace and SK Enmove announced Tuesday that they have developed the world’s first non-flammable energy storage system, or ESS, seeking to secure the lead in the eco-friendly maritime solution sector. The two companies under two of Korea’s largest conglomerates -- Hanwha Group and SK Group -- showcased the liquid immersion cooling ESS technology and how it fills up a lithium-ion battery module with thermal fluids to reduce the chances of a fire to zero. “Safety is a pr

Sept. 10, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung’s AI push has long way to go: CEO

BERLIN -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and co-CEO Han Jong-hee said Saturday that the tech giant’s recent push for artificial intelligence-powered home appliances still has a long way to go in fulfilling the increasingly sophisticated demand from consumers “Our products are not keeping up with very high consumer expectations. … If we consider consumer expectations to be at 100, our product currently stands at around 30,” Han said during a press conference held on th

Sept. 8, 2024

[2024 IFA] LG AI Home envisions zero-labor home

BERLIN -- LG Electronics has announced a brand new era for the company by introducing its artificial intelligence home hub, featuring what it calls "affectionate intelligence," at this year’s IFA trade show that kicked off Friday in Berlin. “We are thrilled to announce the launch of LG AI Home, a smart living solution that utilizes generative AI to seamlessly communicate and connect with customers,” Lyu Jae-cheol, the tech giant's home appliance chief, said Thurs

Sept. 8, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung CEO weighs in with AI connectivity to take on rivals at IFA

BERLIN -- Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman and co-CEO Han Jong-hee said the Korean tech giant is looking to artificial intelligence connectivity to take on its rivals, as this year’s IFA in Berlin, one of the world’s largest consumer appliance trade shows, kicked off Thursday. “Who can provide consumers with a richer experience of connecting products” is the key message to convey, Han told The Korea Herald on Thursday at Samsung Electronics pavilion, upon his visit to th

Sept. 6, 2024

US’ new export controls to have little impact on Korean businesses: ministry

The US' new export controls on critical technologies including quantum computing and cutting-edge semiconductor manufacturing will have little impact on South Korean businesses, Korea's Industry Ministry said on Friday. The US Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security published an interim final rule on Thursday, implementing controls on 24 goods involving critical and emerging technologies including the gate all-around (GAA) chipmaking process, in order to hinder techn

Sept. 6, 2024

[HIT Forum] 'Government, companies should team up to brace for US policy changes'

With the upcoming US presidential election posing as a critical juncture in global trade, Team Korea should join forces to come up with strategies tailored to major industries and boost outreach, Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Vice Chairman Park Il-joon said Thursday. "Policies of the two major parties in the US (the Republican Party and Democratic Party) differ greatly, especially in the industries where Korea holds an edge, such as energy, semiconductors, batteries and vehicles,&q

Sept. 5, 2024

[2024 IFA] Samsung, LG to boast new AI-powered home appliances at IFA

BERLIN -- At this year’s IFA, Europe’s biggest home appliances trade show, two of South Korea’s tech giants, Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics, are set to showcase their latest artificial intelligence-powered home appliances. As the IFA celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, about 2,200 companies in IT, consumer appliances and telecommunications will take part from 139 countries. The five-day event, which kicks off in Berlin on Friday, will see 127 Korean companies pa

Sept. 5, 2024

[2024 IFA] What to expect from IFA trade show

The IFA, Europe’s biggest tech show, is just around the corner. Celebrating an incredible 100 years of the show, it promises to bring the biggest names in tech together to unveil their latest breakthroughs, with South Korean tech rivals Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics among the largest exhibitors. The annual gathering will kick off in Berlin on Friday for a five-day run. This year’s IFA is ready to host more than 2,200 exhibitors and over 182,000 attendees from 139 countries

Sept. 5, 2024

Nvidia sell-off drags down Samsung, SK hynix shares

Korean chipmakers Samsung Electronics and SK hynix saw their stock prices tumble Wednesday, following a plunge in Nvidia shares overnight. Nvidia, the world's leading graphic processing unit supplier, continues to experience increased volatility as it faces an antitrust probe and growing fears that the recent artificial intelligence bubble may be about to burst. Having the GPU giant as a major client for advanced AI chip components, it is inevitable for the nation’s top two chipmakers

Sept. 4, 2024

[KH Explains] Marrying your virtual partner? Era of AI companionship dawns

Every morning, Jung-in wakes up to her AI boyfriend Tae-joo's video call, telling her she has 30 minutes to prepare for work before her bus comes. As she hurries out the door, Tae-joo smiles and calls out, "Take your umbrella with you, it's raining today!" Tae-joo in real life has fallen into a coma, and Jung-in restored her comatose boyfriend as an astronaut in this virtual world called Wonderland. With AI Tae-ju always accessible inside her smartphone and TV screens, Jung-i

Sept. 4, 2024