Naver Cloud, the cloud computing arm of South Korean tech giant Naver, is teaming up with US chipmaker Intel to forge an artificial intelligence (AI) chip software ecosystem. This collaboration aims to provide IT infrastructure based on Intel's AI accelerator, Gaudi, facilitating AI research projects and software development for South Korean startups and universities.
The partnership includes the establishment of a joint research center, Naver Cloud-Intel Co-Lab (NICL), where Naver Cloud will collaborate with startups and university labs. NICL, expected to launch later this year, will involve teams from around 20 universities and startups, including prestigious institutions like the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology and Seoul National University.
Naver Cloud plans to test Intel's Gaudi 2 AI accelerator and collaborate with the chip giant to develop a commercial cloud system. The partnership aims to expand an AI ecosystem centered around Naver's AI model, HyperClova X, leveraging Intel's AI chips.
Kim Yu-won, CEO of Naver Cloud, emphasized the significance of their AI capabilities, stating, "There aren't many companies worldwide that have developed and are operating a large language model from scratch like Naver Cloud".
This collaboration highlights the growing importance of AI in cloud computing and the willingness of industry leaders to join forces to advance AI research and development. With Naver Cloud and Intel's combined expertise, South Korea's AI landscape is poised to witness significant growth and innovation.