Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind and a key architect of Google’s artificial intelligence strategy, has visited South Korea for the first time in 10 years. During the trip, he is set to meet executives from major South Korean companies including Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Hyundai Motor, drawing industry attention a decade after the 2016 match between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol.
Industry officials said Hassabis will hold closed-door meetings on the 28th with senior figures from Samsung Electronics, SK hynix and Hyundai. The talks are expected to focus on cooperation to strengthen a “global AI ecosystem” that links hardware and software, and to reinforce existing partnerships.
Hassabis met at 3 p.m. with President Lee Jae-myung and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon at Cheong Wa Dae to discuss cooperation between the South Korean government and companies. On the 29th, he is scheduled to attend the “Google for Korea 2026” event and hold a dialogue with Lee Sedol on the future of AI.
The most closely watched stop is his meeting with Samsung. Samsung and Google have long been allied through Android. After formalizing an AI partnership in 2024, Samsung began adding Google’s Gemini AI starting with the Galaxy S24 series. Hassabis is expected to discuss next-generation on-device AI and development of dedicated semiconductors with Samsung executives.
Samsung and Google have also been pushing AI-driven form-factor innovation in areas such as mobile devices and smart glasses. In a video message for last year’s Galaxy S25 series launch, Hassabis said Google’s AI agent “Gemini Live” would be applied to the Galaxy S25 and integrated with Samsung apps to deliver new functions across Calendar, Notes, Reminder and Clock. He said the companies would expand to platforms better suited to AI assistants, including smart glasses and headsets.
Cooperation with SK hynix is another focal point. SK hynix, a leading supplier of high-bandwidth memory, is viewed as one of the few indispensable partners in HBM, a key component for AI computing. Google’s in-house Tensor Processing Unit requires HBM, and the company is reported to be considering HBM4E for a next-generation TPU slated for release next year. The companies are expected to discuss issues including customized memory supplies optimized for Google TPUs.
A meeting with Hyundai is also drawing interest as the companies look to future mobility. Google has been deepening cooperation by supplying about 50,000 Hyundai Ioniq 5 vehicles to its robotaxi unit Waymo. Hassabis is expected to discuss ways to apply AI to accelerate Hyundai’s shift to software-defined vehicles and to advance autonomous-driving algorithms.
“His visit, as the ‘father of AlphaGo,’ shows that Korean companies’ AI hardware capabilities hold a key position in the global market,” an industry official said. The official added that the trip could further solidify a broad AI alliance between Google and South Korean companies spanning both hardware and software.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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