At the annual GPU Technology Conference (GTC 2026) held in San Jose, California, South Korean semiconductor companies made a significant impact, highlighting their increasing alliance with NVIDIA in both AI memory production and chip foundry services. Jensen Huang, CEO of NVIDIA, emphasized this collaboration during his keynote speech, noting a pivotal moment in AI technology, particularly with the emergence of AI agents like Anthropic's Claude. These developments indicate a shift from AI 'learning' to 'reasoning' capabilities, proving essential as the industry evolves.

During the conference, Huang unveiled the Grok3, an inference-optimized chip developed by the AI chip startup Grok, which NVIDIA acquired late last year. The Grok3 chip is expected to be integrated into the upcoming Vera Rubin platform, a next-generation AI supercomputer set for release in the later half of this year. This innovation aims to enhance the performance of AI assistants, indicating a focus on more responsive AI systems capable of performing complex tasks autonomously.

Huang publicly expressed gratitude towards Samsung Electronics for their role in supplying the Grok3 chips, affirming the partnership that allows the Grok chip to be produced at Samsung's foundry facilities. He noted that the chips are anticipated to ship by the third quarter of the year, reinforcing the strategic alliance between NVIDIA and Samsung in strengthening the AI supply chain. This collaboration signifies South Korea's important role in the global semiconductor industry, especially in the context of advancing artificial intelligence.