LG aims for global AI elite with next-gen Exaone platform
LG AI Research unveiled on Tuesday its evolving Exaone ecosystem, introducing a series of its latest and newly developed Exaone-based AI models and services co-developed with global partners.
At the 'LG AI Talk Concert 2025' held at LG Sciencepark in Seoul, the institute showcased its lineup of AI innovations built on proprietary foundation models, including Exaone 4.0, Korea's first hybrid AI model combining reasoning and generative capabilities and Exaone Path 2.0, a precision medical AI system.
To secure global competitiveness, the institute aims to expand its Exaone across all major industries, including biotechnology and finance.
"The evolution of agentic AI directly leads to physical AI, a technology that transforms the real world. LG AI Research will accelerate the development of physical AI technology, enabling AI to perceive, judge, and alter actual environments,' Lee Hong-lak, co-president who was newly appointed Monday, said.
While LG largely kept its Exaone models out of the public's reach as a B2B product, the company first unveiled its cutting-edge Exaone 4.0 model via API through the Friendly AI inference platform for companies and institutions, enabling real-world business integration.
Another major unveiling was Exaone 4.0 VL, a multimodal vision-language model. It is capable of interpreting complex professional documents, images and molecular structures.
LG AI Research said the model outperformed Meta's Llma 4 Scout in internal benchmarks, positioning it as a key component of the Exaone ecosystem – serving as its 'eyes' in real world applications.
Also unveiled for the first time include the beta version of ChatExaone, an enterprise AI agent designed for secure internal use and previously limited to LG Group employees. The beta is currently available only to enterprise or business accounts.
Exaone Data Foundry, a platform that streamlines the production of high-quality training data, and Exaone On-Premise, a full-stack enterprise AI solution built entirely with Korean hardware and software for deployment in secure and independent environments, were also unveiled for the first time during the event.
Arman Sahovic, APAC Head of Data Platform Solutions at the London Stock Exchange Group, introduced business intelligence services developed with Exaone. Sahovic explained that LSEG and LG AI Research are collaborating to create a service that predicts investment asset return trends and generates reports based on LSEG's data, news and disclosure information, thereby aiding investment decisions globally.
At the event, chief researchers at LG AI Research expressed their ambition to become one of the global top three players in the AI field. Their immediate goal is to lead in generative and agentic AI, with a longer-term vision to pioneer the era of physical AI, where systems can reason autonomously and take action to solve real-world problems.
'The race to secure AI technology is no longer just a corporate issue — it has expanded into a competition between nations. Without a self-sustaining ecosystem, dependency deepens, and we risk falling behind. Building our own ecosystem is essential,' said Kim Yoo-chul, head of Strategic Division at the institute.
Lee Hwa-young, vice president leading AI Biz Dev and DX Group, also urged for government support in infrastructure.
'To build good AI, you need data, talent, technology and infrastructure. LG has everything except infrastructure,' Lee said. 'The government is now stepping in to build that infrastructure, and we are working hard to stay at the forefront of technology and become one of the global top three in AI.'
The institute's two co-Presidents succeeding Bae Kyung-hoon following his appointment as Minister of Science and ICT, also made their first official appearance since their appointments. Lim Woo-hyung, one of the co-presidents, said he was proud of Bae's new role and vowed to continue leading the institute with dedication.
'Our goal is not just to advance AI technology, but to apply it directly in industrial settings and create real business value. We're actively exploring how to strengthen AI capabilities across LG affiliates and accelerate digital transformation,' Lim said.
Co-head Lee Hong-lak said, 'I will work to elevate LG AI Research to global excellence. We will continue developing Exaone into a world-class technology, support its adoption across the group and help uncover new growth engines.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
SK hynix overtakes Samsung to lead global memory market for 1st time with HBM surge
SK hynix has claimed the top spot in the global memory chip market for the first time, overtaking long-time leader Samsung Electronics on the back of its dominance in high bandwidth memory chips, the highly lucrative artificial intelligence products. According to market tracker Counterpoint Research on Thursday, SK hynix recorded 21.8 trillion won ($15.6 billion) in memory sales, including both DRAM and NAND products, in the April-June period, narrowly surpassing Samsung's 21.2 trillion won. SK hynix also hit an all-time high quarterly operating profit of 9.2 trillion won from its chip sales alone. This is almost double Samsung's total operating profit of 4.6 trillion won across all segments, including smartphones, consumer electronics, memory, logic chips and contract chipmaking. SK hynix' rise is largely attributed to its leadership in the fast-growing HBM memory chips, a critical component for AI processors. Since becoming a key supplier of cutting-edge HBM chips to Nvidia, the world's largest graphic processing unit supplier, the memory chip maker has seen a consistent increase in profitability, while Samsung's earnings have been on a downward trend, reflecting its weaker position in the HBM market. According to Counterpoint's Memory Tracker, Samsung's share of HBM shipments plummeted to 17 percent in the second quarter of this year from 41 percent a year earlier, trailing behind SK hynix and US-based Micron Technology. SK hynix accounted for 62 percent of global HBM shipments, followed by Micron with a 21 percent share. The decline in Samsung's share was attributed in part to US export restrictions to China introduced earlier this year, which limited the company's sales channels. As SK hynix is seeing soaring sales by supplying Nvidia with its most advanced 8-layer and 12-layer HBM3E products, Samsung is struggling to pass the GPU maker's qualification tests and remains largely dependent on older-generation HBM3 chips for its HBM sales. 'The good news is that Samsung's HBM sales appear to have bottomed out in (the first quarter of) 2025 and are showing signs of recovery in (the second quarter),' Choi Jeong-ku, Counterpoint Research analyst, said. 'To regain lost market share, however, it is critical for Samsung to diversify its HBM3E customer base and pass Nvidia's stringent quality tests.' Choi also noted that Samsung should focus on achieving stable yield levels to supply next-generation HBM4 for Nvidia's upcoming Rubin platform. "Considering the recent announcement that Samsung Foundry has won orders from Tesla, there is growing expectation for an overall improvement in Samsung's future performance," Choi added.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
After tariff deal reprieve, Samsung braces for new trade rules
Chip earnings slump to 6-quarter low, but recovery expected on AI, Tesla orders Samsung Electronics said Thursday it is closely monitoring the upcoming decision by the US Department of Commerce regarding semiconductor-related trade regulations, despite an easing in uncertainty following tariff negotiations between South Korea and the US on the same day. During a conference call following its second-quarter earnings announcement, the tech giant said the decision expected in mid-August pertains to the Section 232 investigation under the US Trade Expansion Act, which covers semiconductor and finished products, including smartphones, tablets, PCs and monitors. 'We are keeping a close watch on the outcome of the Section 232 investigation, as it may have implications beyond chips,' a Samsung Electronics official said. 'We have been actively presenting our views throughout the investigation process and have maintained close communication with relevant authorities in both countries.' Samsung said it is preparing a multi-layered response strategy to minimize business risks and seize potential opportunities, depending on the outcome of bilateral discussions between Seoul and Washington. Meanwhile, Samsung highlighted a recent $16.5 billion order secured from Tesla as a 'milestone' that demonstrates the competitiveness of the company's advanced process technologies. It said the deal is expected to pave the way for additional orders from other major clients, contributing to stable operations at its US-based Taylor plant. Samsung has been pushing ahead with the construction of a new chip fabrication plant in Taylor, Texas, with the goal of fulfilling high-value chip contracts from diverse US clients. The plant is slated to begin full-scale operations next year. For 2025, the company said investment in the Taylor facility will remain within this year's capex range but will increase next year. The company also announced that it has completed approval for transitioning its 1c DRAM using a 10-nanometer process to pilot mass production. Based on this, it has finalized the development of its sixth-generation HBM chips, known as HBM4, and has begun shipping samples to major clients. 'Our HBM4 applies advanced logic processes to the base die and features an optimized design, resulting in improvements in performance and energy efficiency compared to the previous generation, HBM3E,' a Samsung Electronics official said. 'We plan to ramp up timely supply in line with the full-scale demand for HBM4 expected next year.' Earlier in the day, Samsung announced its preliminary earnings for the second quarter, reporting an operating profit of 4.68 trillion won ($3.36 billion), down 55.2 percent from a year earlier. Net income fell 48 percent to 5.12 trillion won, while sales rose slightly by 0.67 percent to 74.6 trillion won. These figures fell short of market expectations. According to financial data provider FnGuide, consensus estimates had forecast 6.18 trillion won in operating profit and 76.2 trillion won in sales. Samsung's Device Solutions division, which oversees the semiconductor business, posted 27.9 trillion won in sales and 400 billion won in operating profit — its lowest since a 2 trillion won loss in the fourth quarter in 2023. Despite growth in high-value memory and foundry sales, profitability was impacted by inventory-related charges and US sanctions affecting the non-memory business. The Device eXperience division, which handles mobile and consumer electronics, recorded 43.6 trillion won in revenue and 3.3 trillion won in operating profit. The decline was attributed to reduced Galaxy S25 smartphone sales and intensified competition in the TV market, resulting in a 16 percent drop in revenue and a 1.4 trillion won fall in profit compared to a year ago. Looking ahead, Samsung forecasts a gradual rebound in the third quarter as one-off costs subside, although lingering tariff uncertainties and global economic slowdowns may pose challenges. 'While global trade uncertainties and geopolitical risks raise concerns about slower growth, we expect momentum in the artificial intelligence and robotics industries to gradually drive recovery in the IT sector,' a Samsung Electronics official said.
Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Samsung sees relief in tariff outlook, braces for new US trade rules
Chip earnings slump to 6-quarter low, but recovery expected on AI, Tesla orders Samsung Electronics said Thursday it is closely monitoring the upcoming decision by the US Department of Commerce regarding semiconductor-related trade regulations, despite an easing in uncertainty following tariff negotiations between South Korea and the US on the same day. During a conference call following its second-quarter earnings announcement, the tech giant said the decision expected in mid-August pertains to the Section 232 investigation under the US Trade Expansion Act, which covers semiconductor and finished products, including smartphones, tablets, PCs and monitors. 'We are keeping a close watch on the outcome of the Section 232 investigation, as it may have implications beyond chips,' a Samsung Electronics official said. 'We have been actively presenting our views throughout the investigation process and have maintained close communication with relevant authorities in both countries.' Samsung said it is preparing a multi-layered response strategy to minimize business risks and seize potential opportunities, depending on the outcome of bilateral discussions between Seoul and Washington. Meanwhile, Samsung highlighted a recent $16.5 billion order secured from Tesla as a 'milestone' that demonstrates the competitiveness of the company's advanced process technologies. It said the deal is expected to pave the way for additional orders from other major clients, contributing to stable operations at its US-based Taylor plant. Samsung has been pushing ahead with the construction of a new chip fabrication plant in Taylor, Texas, with the goal of fulfilling high-value chip contracts from diverse US clients. The plant is slated to begin full-scale operations next year. For 2025, the company said investment in the Taylor facility will remain within this year's capex range but will increase next year. The company also announced that it has completed approval for transitioning its 1c DRAM using a 10-nanometer process to pilot mass production. Based on this, it has finalized the development of its sixth-generation HBM chips, known as HBM4, and has begun shipping samples to major clients. 'Our HBM4 applies advanced logic processes to the base die and features an optimized design, resulting in improvements in performance and energy efficiency compared to the previous generation, HBM3E,' a Samsung Electronics official said. 'We plan to ramp up timely supply in line with the full-scale demand for HBM4 expected next year.' Earlier in the day, Samsung announced its preliminary earnings for the second quarter, reporting an operating profit of 4.68 trillion won ($3.36 billion), down 55.2 percent from a year earlier. Net income fell 48 percent to 5.12 trillion won, while sales rose slightly by 0.67 percent to 74.6 trillion won. These figures fell short of market expectations. According to financial data provider FnGuide, consensus estimates had forecast 6.18 trillion won in operating profit and 76.2 trillion won in sales. Samsung's Device Solutions division, which oversees the semiconductor business, posted 27.9 trillion won in sales and 400 billion won in operating profit — its lowest since a 2 trillion won loss in the fourth quarter in 2023. Despite growth in high-value memory and foundry sales, profitability was impacted by inventory-related charges and US sanctions affecting the non-memory business. The Device eXperience division, which handles mobile and consumer electronics, recorded 43.6 trillion won in revenue and 3.3 trillion won in operating profit. The decline was attributed to reduced Galaxy S25 smartphone sales and intensified competition in the TV market, resulting in a 16 percent drop in revenue and a 1.4 trillion won fall in profit compared to a year ago. Looking ahead, Samsung forecasts a gradual rebound in the third quarter as one-off costs subside, although lingering tariff uncertainties and global economic slowdowns may pose challenges. 'While global trade uncertainties and geopolitical risks raise concerns about slower growth, we expect momentum in the artificial intelligence and robotics industries to gradually drive recovery in the IT sector,' a Samsung Electronics official said.
