🔍 Read the full analysis: Why Altman Went From PC Memory Criticism To Samsung Executives on ThorstenMeyerAI.com
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TL;DR
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met about 50 Samsung executives in Yongin on Oct. 31, as AI companies compete for scarce memory chips. The meeting was confirmed by Samsung, but no new supply agreement or contract terms were announced. Days earlier, Altman had called it “quite terrible” that PC memory sits idle much of the time, arguing that shared data centers could use scarce memory more fully.
OpenAI CEO Sam Altman met about 50 senior Samsung executives in Yongin, South Korea, on Oct. 31, as demand for memory chips rises across the artificial-intelligence industry. Samsung confirmed the meeting and described it as part of a leadership program, but neither company announced a new memory-supply deal. The visit came two days after Altman said it was “quite terrible” that much of the world’s limited memory is sitting in personal computers that are used only part of the time.
Samsung said executives from its electronics, finance and biotech affiliates attended the session at the company’s Human Resources Development Center in Yongin, south of Seoul. The meeting’s theme was translated by The Korea Herald as “The Next 10 Years Shaped by AI: The Enterprise’s Choice.” Samsung said the discussion covered the direction of AI technology, its effect on decision-making and management, and potential new markets. It framed the gathering as leadership training related to AI, rather than announcing a commercial agreement.
Samsung relayed that Altman told the executives that a company does not gain an advantage simply by adopting AI; it must use the technology to move faster, improve products and compete more effectively. Yonhap and The Seoul Economic Daily reported similar wording. Bloomberg, citing the broader industry context, reported that the visit was intended to deepen cooperation on memory chips and AI infrastructure as shortages intensify. That account describes the meeting’s purpose, but Samsung’s public summary did not disclose specific negotiations.
No contract, chip volumes or prices were announced, and Samsung did not publish a full attendee list. The Seoul Economic Daily reported that OpenAI hardware chief Richard Ho accompanied Altman and that OpenAI’s accelerator may use Samsung’s next-generation HBM4 memory. Neither company has confirmed that reported plan. The same outlet reported that Altman also met SK Group chairman Chey Tae-won and SK hynix executives in Seoul; details of that discussion have not been disclosed.
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 has become a contested input for AI systems. Large data centers use memory in servers and accelerators, while personal computers and other devices also depend on it. When supply is tight, companies expanding AI infrastructure are competing with manufacturers serving consumer and enterprise hardware markets. A meeting between OpenAI and Samsung, one of the world’s major memory suppliers, is relevant even without a public deal: it signals the importance of supply relationships as AI computing expands.
Altman’s comments sharpen that tension. On the Cheeky Pint podcast, published Oct. 29, he argued that memory in personal computers is often idle and could be used more fully in shared data centers. His estimate that PCs use memory about 5% of the time was his characterization, not a published measurement of overall computer use. He also leads a company that sells cloud-based AI services, a factor readers should keep in mind when evaluating his argument. The remark does not establish that consumer devices will lose memory, but it frames allocation as a question of how limited supply is put to use.
The immediate consumer risk described in the source material is not necessarily empty store shelves. It is the possibility of higher prices or product trade-offs if manufacturers face tighter supply, including less memory or storage in some devices. TrendForce forecast conventional DRAM contract prices would rise another 10% to 15% in the fourth quarter of 2026 and warned PC memory supply could decline in 2027 as capacity shifts toward servers. Those are forecasts, not confirmed outcomes.
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A Partnership Built Since 2025
The Yongin meeting took place against a relationship that predates Altman’s latest visit. In October 2025, OpenAI and four Samsung companies signed a letter of intent. Samsung said at the time that OpenAI’s projected memory demand could reach “up to 900,000 DRAM wafers per month.” That was a projection cited in the earlier letter of intent, not a newly disclosed purchase commitment or evidence that those volumes are being delivered now.
OpenAI also said in June 2026 that Samsung Electronics would roll out ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex to employees in Korea and its global device division. The Korea Herald reported that Samsung executive chairman Lee Jae-yong visited OpenAI in San Francisco in July. The Oct. 31 gathering was Altman’s first Samsung visit in about a year, according to The Seoul Economic Daily.
Samsung’s financial position adds context to its role in the talks. The supplied report says its chip division earned 106.5 trillion won of Samsung’s 107.4 trillion won in operating profit in the third quarter of 2026. It also reports a 0.6 trillion won operating loss for the phone and network business, partly amid cost pressures. Those figures underline the weight of semiconductors in Samsung’s results, but do not establish what was discussed privately with OpenAI.
““From a global allocation perspective, it’s quite terrible” that much of the world’s limited memory is in personal computers “being used 5% of the time.””
— Sam Altman, on the Cheeky Pint podcast, Oct. 29
Supply Talks Remain Undisclosed
The substance of any supply discussions remains unknown. Samsung’s public statement described an AI-focused leadership session, while Bloomberg reported that the visit aimed to deepen cooperation on memory chips and AI infrastructure. Neither company has released meeting minutes, contract terms, pricing or planned chip volumes, and no new agreement was announced.
It is also unconfirmed whether Richard Ho attended or whether an OpenAI accelerator will use Samsung HBM4. Those details came from reporting by The Seoul Economic Daily, which cited industry sources. Samsung and OpenAI have not confirmed them. The source material also does not establish how much memory OpenAI currently buys from Samsung, or whether the earlier demand projection will become an order.
More broadly, the timing and scale of any consumer impact are uncertain. TrendForce’s price and supply outlook is a forecast; actual prices and product configurations may differ. No evidence in the supplied reporting shows that manufacturers have already cut memory in particular PC models because of Altman’s meeting or comments.
Watch for Contracts and Supply Data
The next concrete sign of a commercial outcome would be a public announcement from OpenAI, Samsung or SK hynix detailing a supply agreement, product relationship or expected volumes. Until then, the Oct. 31 meeting confirms executive-level contact, not a completed deal. Readers can also watch for clarification on whether OpenAI’s accelerator will use HBM4 and whether Richard Ho was part of the delegation.
For the wider market, upcoming company disclosures and memory-price updates will show whether AI demand is changing supply allocation or costs. TrendForce’s forecast points to possible further DRAM price increases in the fourth quarter of 2026 and tighter PC-memory availability in 2027, but those projections need to be checked against later data. For now, the confirmed development is the meeting; its commercial consequences have not been made public.
Key Questions
Did OpenAI and Samsung announce a new memory deal?
No. Samsung confirmed the Oct. 31 meeting, but no new supply contract, volume or price was announced.
What did Altman say about memory in personal computers?
On the Cheeky Pint podcast, Altman argued that much PC memory sits idle and could be used more fully in shared data centers. His estimate that it is used “5% of the time” is his estimate, not a general measured statistic.
Was OpenAI’s chip chief at the Samsung meeting?
The Seoul Economic Daily reported that OpenAI hardware chief Richard Ho accompanied Altman. OpenAI and Samsung have not confirmed his attendance.
Will the meeting make PCs more expensive?
That is not established. TrendForce forecast higher conventional DRAM contract prices in the fourth quarter of 2026 and warned of possible PC-memory supply declines in 2027, but those are forecasts, and no specific price impact from the meeting has been confirmed.
Source: ThorstenMeyerAI.com
