South Korea plans to secure 10,000 GPUs by 2025 to advance its national AI computing centre, intensifying its position in the global AI race, reports Reuters.
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| South Korea aims to acquire 10,000 high-performance GPUs to enhance its AI capabilities as part of its efforts to stay competitive in the global AI race. Image: ChicHue |
Seoul, South Korea — February 17, 2025:
South Korea has unveiled plans to secure 10,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) by the end of 2025 in a bid to enhance its position in the global AI race, according to Reuters. Acting President Choi Sang-mok noted that the competition for AI dominance is shifting from corporate rivalries to national innovation ecosystems. He emphasized that the country aims to acquire the GPUs through public-private partnerships to ensure the timely launch of its national AI computing centre.
The announcement comes amid growing concerns over international regulations, particularly from the U.S., which recently imposed export restrictions on American AI chips and technology necessary for advanced AI applications. These regulations divide the world into tiers, with South Korea among the 18 countries exempt from strict export controls. Meanwhile, nations like Iran, China, and Russia face bans on these critical technologies.
The need for GPUs in AI models depends on factors such as model complexity, data volume, and training time. South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has yet to finalize the specific GPU models it will acquire, but a decision on the budget, participating companies, and products will be made by September 2025.
Nvidia, a leading provider of GPUs, holds around 80% of the global market share. In response, OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT, is working on reducing its reliance on Nvidia by developing its in-house AI chips, which will be fabricated by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co. Additionally, Chinese startup DeepSeek is disrupting the AI race with models that optimize computational efficiency, potentially narrowing the gap between Chinese AI processors and those from the U.S.
By securing the 10,000 GPUs, South Korea aims to bolster its AI infrastructure and innovation capabilities, ensuring it remains competitive on the world stage.