South Korean Media: China's Storage Chips to Rise After AI, Putting Korean Firms at Stake for Survival
According to a July 28 article by South Korea's JoongAng Ilbo (Japanese Edition), recently Chinese AI startup Moonshot AI unveiled its AI model "Kimi K3," which rivals major U.S. tech AI models. Following this, Chinese memory semiconductor manufacturers are also accelerating development at an astonishing pace.
ChangXin Memory Technologies (CXMT) went public on the 27th, quickly rising to become the most valuable company on China’s stock market. CXMT plans to use the funds raised to advance DRAM technology and expand production capacity. A senior executive from a South Korean memory semiconductor firm recently described CXMT as “the most formidable competitor.”
In fact, CXMT has rapidly grown under full official support. In addition to receiving substantial investment from national semiconductor funds, factory land has been provided free of charge or at low cost. The recently launched Chinese AI model "Kimi K3" is renowned for its high quality and low price. The “Kimi Wave” not only indicates that China’s AI technology is catching up with the United States but also foreshadows further increases in value for semiconductors, data centers, and power in the AI race.
When high-performance, low-cost artificial intelligence emerges, computational power required to run AI models will experience explosive growth. This is likely to significantly elevate the importance of AI infrastructure such as semiconductors and electricity—presenting opportunities for South Korea.
Last weekend, President Lee Jin-man met with executives from major South Korean and American tech companies, announcing plans to transform South Korea into a “core nation of irreplaceable global AI supply chains.”
South Korean and American firms have agreed to launch a super collaborative project totaling $950 billion. Despite these major positive factors, South Korean stocks rose by only 1% on the 27th. Market analysts suggest that CXMT’s debut as an “underdog” acted like a black hole, drawing in global liquidity capital.
President Lee Jin-man invoked the U.S. “AI Declaration,” stating, “South Korea will become an indispensable nation in the era of artificial intelligence.” The South Korean government has decided to fully commit to advancing AI, providing comprehensive support to domestic enterprises, and expanding infrastructure including power grids and industrial water supplies.
In summary, in the age of artificial intelligence, South Korea must go all-in. Falling behind China could mean a life-or-death crisis.
Original source: toutiao.com/article/1871944927359168/
Disclaimer: This article represents the personal views of the author.