OpenAI's self-developed artificial intelligence (AI) inference chip, Jalapeño, will incorporate Samsung Electronics' sixth-generation high-bandwidth memory (HBM4). While the possibility of Samsung supplying HBM4 had been raised recently, the actual supply details were not disclosed until now. The confirmation that Samsung's HBM4 will be used in OpenAI's AI chip is expected to further diversify the AI semiconductor supply chain.
According to industry sources on August 27, the HBM4 to be used in Jalapeño has been confirmed as a Samsung product. Each chip will feature 216GB of HBM4, with a reported memory bandwidth of 15.4TB/s.
Jalapeño is an AI accelerator developed by OpenAI in collaboration with Broadcom. OpenAI plans to deploy Jalapeño in its infrastructure starting later this year. The company is also reportedly working on subsequent chip developments following the first generation.
This supply agreement illustrates Samsung's strategy to expand its HBM customer base from traditional accelerator companies like Nvidia to big tech firms developing their own AI chips. Earlier this year, Samsung outlined its strategy to secure HBM customers not only from global GPU manufacturers but also from hyperscalers creating proprietary chips. The confirmation of HBM4 supply to OpenAI indicates that this diversification strategy is taking shape.
OpenAI's development of its own chips is seen as a new opportunity for the AI semiconductor market. Analysts suggest that if big tech companies design accelerators optimized for their services rather than relying solely on Nvidia GPUs for all AI computations, the AI chip market could evolve into a structure where general-purpose GPUs coexist with custom application-specific integrated circuits (ASICs). An increase in proprietary AI chips could also lead to a rise in demand for HBM.
From Samsung's perspective, this development is viewed positively. An increase in HBM customers could reduce dependency on specific clients. If competition among customers emerges, it could enhance Samsung's negotiating power regarding prices. As the AI accelerator market expands, the addition of big tech's proprietary chips as HBM customers, alongside Nvidia, is expected to bolster Samsung's HBM shipment growth.
In addition to HBM4, Samsung is also pursuing the development of customized HBM tailored to specific customer requirements. Industry experts view the supply to OpenAI as a case that could lead to deeper collaboration between big tech and memory manufacturers, extending beyond simple product supply to the design phase of AI chips.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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