Demis Hassabis, chief executive of Google DeepMind, met with the leaders of South Korea’s four largest conglomerates on April 28 (local time), underscoring a push to deepen artificial intelligence partnerships as global competition intensifies.
According to industry officials, Hassabis began a series of meetings in Seoul with Euisun Chung, chairman of Hyundai Motor Group. The two discussed expanding cooperation in robotics and AI. Hyundai has partnered with Google on vehicle software, while its subsidiary Boston Dynamics is collaborating with DeepMind on advanced robotics AI.
Hassabis later met Koo Kwang-mo at LG Group’s headquarters, where discussions focused on building a robotics-centered “physical AI” ecosystem and strengthening ties between the companies’ research organizations.
In the afternoon, Hassabis visited Samsung Electronics to meet Chairman Jay Y. Lee. The talks covered cooperation in high-bandwidth memory, a key component for running Google’s tensor processing units, or TPUs, as well as potential collaboration in semiconductor foundry services, mobile devices and home appliances. Senior executives, including mobile chief TM Roh, attended the meeting.
Hassabis also met Chey Tae-won and other senior leaders from SK Group. Discussions centered on securing next-generation memory chips, including advanced high-bandwidth memory, to support rising demand for AI computing infrastructure.
Industry observers view the meetings as part of Google’s broader effort to expand its reach across the global AI value chain. By securing access to advanced memory and manufacturing capabilities, the company aims to scale its computing infrastructure and integrate its AI technologies into products ranging from smartphones and vehicles to robotics.
“Both sides need each other,” an industry executive said. “Korean manufacturers provide critical hardware capabilities, while Google brings leading AI models and software. These partnerships could prove decisive in the race for technological leadership.”
