OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met with around 50 senior Samsung executives in South Korea as demand for memory chips continues to outstrip supply. The October 31 meeting in Yongin brought together leaders from Samsung’s electronics, finance and biotechnology businesses to discuss how AI could reshape industries and business strategy.
The visit comes as OpenAI seeks to secure the memory capacity needed for its expanding data-centre plans. However, Samsung did not announce a new supply agreement following the meeting.
Existing Cooperation on AI Infrastructure
Samsung and OpenAI already have a partnership focused on global AI infrastructure. In October 2025, they signed a letter of intent covering cooperation that includes memory semiconductors for OpenAI’s Stargate project.
The companies have previously said that Stargate could require up to 900,000 DRAM wafer starts per month. That figure reflects projected demand, not a newly confirmed delivery schedule from the latest meeting.
Memory Shortages Are Tightening
AI data centres require large quantities of memory to support the computing systems used to train and run AI models. The surge in demand is placing pressure on supplies of DRAM and high-bandwidth memory, or HBM, which is used in AI accelerators.
Samsung and SK Hynix are major suppliers of these chips, making South Korea an important part of the global AI hardware supply chain. Analysts and memory manufacturers have warned that supply constraints could continue into 2027 and beyond.
Altman’s Comments on Personal Computer RAM
The meeting followed Altman’s recent comments that memory sitting in personal computers is often underused compared with memory in cloud data centres. He argued that centralised infrastructure can make more intensive use of scarce DRAM by sharing resources across workloads.
The remarks drew criticism from people who favour running AI models locally, including for greater control and privacy. They also highlighted the tension between growing demand for AI data centres and the limited supply of memory available for consumer devices.
No New Deal Announced
Samsung described the Yongin event as a discussion about AI’s future, emerging markets and business opportunities. Neither company announced a new memory supply deal or disclosed additional quantities from the meeting.
The visit underscores how access to memory is becoming a strategic issue for AI companies. For OpenAI, securing reliable supply will be important as it expands its data-centre infrastructure, while manufacturers must balance demand from AI operators with the needs of other electronics markets.
