U.S. semiconductor company AMD will build an artificial intelligence (AI) research center in Korea. It will also create an open AI infrastructure ecosystem. Through this, domestic AI chip companies are expected to be able to intensify cooperation with AMD and participate in the global AI computing supply chain.
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) announced on the 27th that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with AMD on AI chip ecosystem cooperation in San Francisco on the 23rd.
AMD is a global semiconductor company spanning central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs), and is pushing to expand its AI computing ecosystem with its open-source software platform ROCm and open standards. In particular, it is leading the transition from a single GPU-centered computing structure to a heterogeneous computing architecture that efficiently combines various AI chips such as CPUs, GPUs, and neural processing units (NPUs).
First, AMD is pushing to establish an AI center of excellence in Korea. Based on its AI computing resources and software capabilities, the center will serve as a cooperation hub supporting technical collaboration among domestic companies, universities, and research institutions, AI chip software development, computing technology verification, and joint research. Through this, AMD plans to organically link its global network with the capabilities of domestic industry, academia, and research institutions to expand various cooperation opportunities based on an open AI ecosystem.
In particular, cooperation between AMD and domestic AI chip companies will be pursued. The MOU includes building a heterogeneous AI computing infrastructure that links AMD's CPUs and GPUs with domestic AI chips (NPUs) that have strengths in the inference field. It also pursues the creation of an open AI computing ecosystem in which domestic companies participate together, covering not only AI chips but also memory, networks, servers, and software. In addition, research cooperation will be carried out centered on the National AI Research Center (NAIS). AMD plans to provide high-performance computing resources such as CPUs and GPUs, AI software, and specialized personnel.
Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, said, "The global AI competition is shifting toward heterogeneous computing that combines various computing resources such as CPUs, GPUs, and NPUs, and toward open ecosystems." He added, "Through cooperation with AMD, we will be able to enhance the competitiveness of the domestic AI chip ecosystem and create a new cooperation model that responds to changes in global AI computing infrastructure." AMD CEO Lisa Su stressed, "Korea is a key strategic market for AMD with world-class competitiveness in semiconductors, AI, advanced research, and physical AI." She added, "This cooperation goes beyond simple hardware support and demonstrates AMD's long-term commitment to contributing to Korea's AI innovation and economic growth through technical cooperation, talent development, and close joint research and development."
