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TL;DR
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met about 50 Samsung executives in Yongin on Oct. 31, as memory chips remain a pressure point for the AI industry. Days earlier, he called it “quite terrible” that much memory is in personal computers he estimated are used 5% of the time; the figure was his estimate, not a measured statistic. Samsung confirmed the meeting but announced no new chip supply agreement.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met about 50 senior Samsung executives in Yongin, South Korea, on Oct. 31, as the AI industry competes for limited memory-chip supply. Samsung confirmed the meeting and described it as part of a leadership program, but announced no new supply contract. The visit followed Altman’s podcast remarks that it is “quite terrible” for scarce memory to sit in personal computers he estimated are used only 5% of the time.
Samsung said presidents and senior executives from its electronics, finance and biotech affiliates met Altman at the company’s Human Resources Development Center. The session’s stated theme was “The Next 10 Years Shaped by AI: The Enterprise’s Choice.” Samsung said they discussed the direction of AI, its effects on decision-making and management, and the markets it could open. The company presented the gathering as AI leadership training, rather than announcing a procurement agreement.
Bloomberg reported that the visit was intended to deepen cooperation on memory chips and AI infrastructure amid intensifying shortages. The Seoul Economic Daily reported that Richard Ho, the OpenAI executive leading its in-house chip work, accompanied Altman. That outlet also said OpenAI’s accelerator may use Samsung’s next-generation HBM4 memory, citing industry sources. Neither company has confirmed that reported component choice.
Altman’s PC-memory comments came in an episode of Stripe co-founder John Collison’s podcast, published Oct. 29. Asked why higher prices had not quickly produced more supply, Altman said “the invisible hand is failing right now.” He argued that memory in personal computers is often idle and could be put to fuller use in shared data centers. His estimate that PCs are used 5% of the time was not presented as a measured industry-wide figure.
Infographic 01 · Confirmed, reported, not announced
What we actually know about Altman’s Samsung meeting
Samsung confirmed the meeting and framed it as AI leadership training. The memory angle comes from reporting. No deal was announced.
- Meeting with about 50 presidents and executivesConfirmed by Samsung
Electronics, finance and biotech affiliates; Samsung Human Resources Development Center. Theme: “The Next 10 Years Shaped by AI: The Enterprise’s Choice”.
- Altman: the edge comes from how you use AI, not from adopting itConfirmed by Samsung
As relayed by Samsung via Yonhap; quoted similarly by the Seoul Economic Daily.
- Aim: deeper cooperation on memory chips and AI infrastructureReported
Bloomberg, “as global shortages intensify”.
- OpenAI’s chip-hardware chief traveled along; HBM4 linkOne outlet
Seoul Economic Daily, citing industry sources. Not confirmed by either company.
- SK chairman Chey Tae-won met Altman the same dayOne outlet
Yonhap, citing industry sources. Content not disclosed.
- Volumes, prices, a new contractNot announced
Nothing announced. No statement from OpenAI on the visit.
How Samsung and OpenAI got here
- 1 Oct 2025Letter of intent: memory for Stargate, data centers, floating data centersSamsung and OpenAI announcement
- Jun 2026Samsung rolls out ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex to employeesOpenAI, as reported by the Korea Herald
- Jul 2026Samsung chairman Lee Jae-yong visits OpenAI in San FranciscoKorea Herald
- 29 Oct 2026Samsung’s record quarter; Altman’s “quite terrible” DRAM remarkSamsung results · Cheeky Pint podcast
- 31 Oct 2026Altman meets about 50 Samsung executives in YonginSamsung via Yonhap · Bloomberg
“Confirmed by Samsung” means Samsung’s own account, as relayed by Yonhap and the Korea Herald. A letter of intent is a statement of plans, not a purchase order.
Sources: Samsung via Yonhap, 31 Oct 2026, Korea Herald, 31 Oct 2026, Bloomberg via The Straits Times, 31 Oct 2026, Seoul Economic Daily, 1 Nov 2026, Samsung and OpenAI letter of intent, 1 Oct 2025.
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AI Data Centers Compete for Memory
The meeting matters because memory is a key input for both AI infrastructure and consumer electronics. High-bandwidth memory is used alongside advanced processors in AI systems, while conventional DRAM is found in PCs and other devices. If suppliers direct more production toward server demand, companies building AI services could gain access to capacity while PC makers face tighter availability or higher costs. The source material describes this as a risk, not a confirmed outcome for any particular product.
For consumers, a shortage does not necessarily mean empty shelves. The more immediate concern is higher prices or reduced specifications, such as less memory in mainstream computers, if manufacturers pass on rising component costs or adjust product configurations. Businesses may also weigh whether to buy and operate their own AI hardware or pay for access to cloud services. Altman’s argument favors shared infrastructure, but he leads a company that sells cloud-based AI, a relevant interest when evaluating his position.
The stakes are also commercial for Samsung. The source reports that its chip division generated 106.5 trillion won of the company’s 107.4 trillion won in operating profit in the third quarter. That concentration makes memory demand important to Samsung’s results, while customers including OpenAI want reliable access to components. Those figures describe one quarter and do not, on their own, establish how future supply or prices will move.
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From 2025 Agreement to Yongin
The Oct. 31 meeting took place within a relationship that had already developed. In October 2025, OpenAI and four Samsung companies signed a letter of intent. Samsung said at the time that OpenAI’s memory demand was projected to reach “up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month.” That was a projection in a letter of intent, not confirmation of purchases at that volume.
OpenAI said in June 2026 that Samsung Electronics would roll out ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex to employees in Korea and its global device division. In July, Samsung executive chairman Lee Jae-yong visited OpenAI in San Francisco, according to the Korea Herald. The source also reports that SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won met Altman in Seoul on Oct. 31 with SK hynix executives; the agenda was not disclosed.
Price pressure is not limited to high-bandwidth memory. TrendForce expects contract prices for conventional DRAM to rise another 10% to 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026, according to the source. It also warned that PC memory supply could decline in 2027 as more capacity shifts to servers. These are forecasts, not confirmed price changes or supply outcomes.
““From a global allocation perspective, it’s quite terrible” that so much memory is in personal computers he said are used 5% of the time.”
— Sam Altman, on John Collison’s Cheeky Pint podcast
Supply Terms Remain Unconfirmed
No new contract, pricing, or supply volume was announced after the Samsung meeting. Samsung did not publish an attendee list, and its description did not specify whether memory procurement was discussed. Bloomberg characterized the visit as an effort to deepen cooperation, but that reporting does not establish that the companies reached an agreement.
OpenAI’s reported use of Samsung HBM4 in a future accelerator remains unconfirmed by both companies. The source also does not establish how much memory OpenAI will ultimately buy, when any supply would arrive, or whether the 2025 projection will translate into orders. Altman’s 5% estimate likewise has no measurement method or stated comparison group in the material.
Forecasts of higher DRAM prices and lower PC-memory availability are subject to change. The available information does not show how much capacity will shift to servers, which products might be affected, or whether manufacturers will pass costs on to customers.
Watch for Contracts and Pricing
The next concrete signs will be any public supply agreement, company disclosure, or confirmed details about the memory used in OpenAI’s accelerator. Until then, the Oct. 31 gathering is evidence of contact between major AI and semiconductor companies, not proof of a new allocation deal.
For buyers and businesses, quarterly pricing updates from memory suppliers and forecasts from industry trackers will show whether the expected DRAM increases materialize. PC makers’ product specifications and pricing may offer further evidence of how supply conditions affect devices. Samsung and OpenAI have not disclosed a timetable for additional announcements about the meeting.
Key Questions
What was confirmed about Altman’s meeting with Samsung?
Samsung confirmed that about 50 senior executives from its electronics, finance and biotech affiliates met Altman in Yongin on Oct. 31. It described the gathering as an AI leadership program. No new supply contract was announced.
Did OpenAI agree to buy Samsung memory?
The source material reports no new purchase agreement, volume, or price from the meeting. OpenAI and Samsung had signed a letter of intent in 2025, but that is not confirmation of orders at the projected level.
Was the claim that PCs are used 5% of the time verified?
No. The 5% figure was Altman’s estimate during a podcast discussion. The source provides no independent measurement or definition of how “used” was calculated.
Could the memory shortage raise PC prices?
It could contribute to higher prices or changes to device specifications if supply tightens, but the effect on particular PCs is not confirmed. TrendForce’s cited price and supply outlooks are forecasts, not guaranteed results.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
