SK Group has achieved a remarkable milestone in chip development, now outpacing technology demands from industry giant Nvidia, according to SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won's statements at CES 2025.
During a meeting with Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang at the event, Chey revealed a dramatic shift in the companies' dynamic. "In the past, Nvidia pushed SK hynix to develop faster, but now our pace exceeds their requests," he told reporters, noting particularly strong progress in high-bandwidth memory (HBM) development.
The chairman's comments came after touring SK's booth at CES 2025, where he and Huang discussed physical AI applications. While no concrete business partnerships emerged from their talks, Chey highlighted potential collaboration opportunities, noting Korea's manufacturing expertise could complement Nvidia's advances in digital twins and their Cosmos platform.
Looking ahead, Chey stressed the need for South Korea to develop independent AI capabilities. "If we rely on other countries, we can't shape our future. We must build what we need ourselves," he stated, emphasizing investments in both infrastructure and talent development.
SK's strategic focus has shifted toward specialized AI data centers, which Chey described as larger-scale facilities requiring more energy than traditional data centers. These centers are designed specifically for efficient AI inference, moving beyond standard cloud and video services.
The chairman advocated for targeted expertise rather than attempting to master all aspects of AI development. "No company or startup can succeed alone by handling everything from A to Z. We need to focus on areas where we can excel and take the lead," he explained.
Addressing the uncertainties in AI development, Chey maintained an action-oriented approach: "AI is still in its early stages, and we don't know what challenges lie ahead. But by confronting these challenges head-on, we can find the path to success."