The scope of cooperation with Samsung in the development of custom AI semiconductors promoted by OpenAI may be expanding. According to Reuters, Harrison Kim of OpenAI Korea revealed that OpenAI and Samsung are making significant progress in the production and research of next-generation chips. While the specific areas of responsibility were not explicitly stated, Kim indicated that cooperation with South Korean semiconductor suppliers will become crucial as computing becomes more advanced.

Regarding OpenAI's first custom chip, "Jalapeño," it has been reported that TSMC will handle manufacturing while Samsung will supply the HBM4 memory. The two companies had signed a memorandum of understanding in October 2025 aimed at cooperating on AI infrastructure. OpenAI is also proceeding with the development of second and third-generation custom chips following Jalapeño.

Due to these developments, Samsung's role may evolve from a simple memory supplier to a partner handling a vertically integrated supply system, including logic manufacturing and advanced packaging. However, details such as the specific manufacturing processes and production volumes have not yet been disclosed.

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