Seoul: Samsung Electronics and French artificial intelligence startup Mistral AI have held discussions on potential cooperation in the AI memory and semiconductor sector, as global demand for AI chips and infrastructure continues to surge.

According to industry sources, Arthur Mensch, co-founder and chief executive of Mistral AI, met Jeon Young-hyun, head of Samsung’s device solutions division, at the company’s Hwaseong campus on Thursday. The talks focused on collaboration across AI chip supply chains and next-generation memory technologies.

Mensch was in South Korea during Emmanuel Macron’s visit to Seoul for bilateral talks with Lee Jae Myung, signalling broader international engagement in artificial intelligence partnerships.

Mistral AI, often described as Europe’s alternative to OpenAI, is seeking to secure a stable semiconductor supply to scale its large language model, Mistral Large, and strengthen its AI infrastructure. Industry observers view the visit to Samsung’s semiconductor facility as part of this strategic push.

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The discussions come amid tightening conditions in the global memory market, with AI firms increasingly competing for high-performance chips. “Mistral AI appears to be pursuing talks with Samsung to ensure a reliable chip supply amid supply constraints,” an industry official said.

The development follows recent engagements between Samsung and Lisa Su, chief executive of Advanced Micro Devices (AMD), highlighting intensifying collaboration in the AI ecosystem.

Last month, Lisa Su met South Korean officials, including Im Moon-young of the National AI Strategy Committee and Ha Jung-woo, to discuss expanding AI partnerships and technology cooperation.

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During the meeting, officials outlined Seoul’s strategy to position South Korea among the world’s top three AI powerhouses, while exploring synergies between Korean companies and AMD in the rapidly evolving AI sector.

Both sides reaffirmed their commitment to building an open, global AI ecosystem through sustained cooperation in semiconductor innovation and artificial intelligence technologies.

IANS