LG AI Research, the artificial intelligence (AI) research hub of South Korea’s LG Group, announced Wednesday a strategic partnership with a Korean specialized AI chip design company Furiosa AI for research and commercialization efforts in the field of next-generation AI chips and generative AI technologies.

The two companies plan to establish a technology cooperation roadmap and expand collaboration to develop a next-generation AI chip capable of powering massive AI models.

Under the partnership, LG AI Research is set to validate the commercial viability of generative AI technology based on Exaone, LG’s multimodal AI system, using the second-generation AI chip, Renegade, which is being developed by Furiosa AI.

Lim Woo-hyung, leader of LG’s applied AI research group and vice president, will oversee the joint research and business model exploration with Furiosa AI, according to an LG spokesperson.

Furiosa AI aims to incorporate the evaluation and feedback from LG AI Research throughout the design, development, and mass production processes to develop optimized AI chips that can reliably power massive AI models.

Neural processing units (NPUs), commonly referred to as AI chips, are expected to revolutionize AI by processing data faster and more efficiently than central processing units (CPUs) and graphics processing units (GPUs).

“Both companies share the vision of creating AI that benefits human life and will work to lay the foundation for a strong, self-sustaining AI technology ecosystem,” said Baek Joon-ho, chief executive of Furiosa AI.

Furiosa AI plans to commence mass production of the Renegade in the first half of next year.

AI is a significant focus area for LG Group led by Chairman Koo Kwang-mo. LG AI Research was established in 2020 to demonstrate LG’s commitment to making substantial investments in AI research and development at the group level.

By Choi Seung-jin and Minu Kim

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