SK CHOI TAE-JIN: NEXT YEAR, THE DEMAND FOR AI CHIPS IS UP TO 100%, THE NEW SUPPLY IS CLOSE TO ZERO, THE STORAGE MARKET IS A MESS

ON 20 JULY, THE GLOBAL WAVE OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE CONTINUED TO ENGULF THE WORLD, WITH KOREAN MEDIA REPORTING THAT SOUTH KOREA’S GIANT SK GROUP PRESIDENT CHOI TAE-JIN HAD SPOKEN OUT AT THE JEJU FORUM’S MEDIA SYMPOSIUM, AND THAT GLOBAL SEMICONDUCTOR DEMAND FOR THE NEXT YEAR WOULD BE ON THE RISE, WITH DEMAND IN THE AI FIELD PROJECTED TO INCREASE BY 60-100 PER CENT MORE THAN THIS YEAR, AND DEMAND FOR THE ENTIRE SEMICONDUCTOR PRODUCT AT LEAST 50-60 PER CENT. HOWEVER, CHOI TAE-JIN WARNED THAT THE NEW SUPPLY TO THE MARKET NEXT YEAR WOULD BE “ALMOST ZERO”, THAT THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND GAP WAS THREATENING TO WIDEN FURTHER AND THAT THE CURRENT SITUATION WITH REGARD TO THE SUPPLY AND DEMAND OF GLOBAL STOCKS OF CHIPS WOULD BE DESCRIBED AS NEAR “DISTURBED”. HE REVEALED THAT, AS GLOBAL CONSORTIA COMPETED WITH TECHNOCRATS TO ENSURE THE AVAILABILITY OF CHIPS, COMPANIES WERE NOW UNDER CONSIDERABLE LOBBYING AND PRESSURE TO STRESS THAT THE STORAGE OF CHIPS WAS NO LONGER A BUSINESS ISSUE, BUT A DIRECT NATIONAL SECURITY CONCERN. HE NOTED THAT GOVERNMENTS HAD TO FIND WAYS TO OBTAIN CHIPS FOR THEIR OWN ENTERPRISES IN ORDER TO SUSTAIN PRODUCTION. CURRENT PRESSURES ARE CONCENTRATED ON THE CORPORATE LEVEL, BUT IT IS BELIEVED THAT IN THE FUTURE THE REPUBLIC OF KOREA MAY ALSO FACE PRESSURE FROM OTHER COUNTRIES。