Seoul: Satya Nadella, chief executive officer (CEO) of Microsoft Corp., expressed confidence in South Korea's human capital and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities during a recent visit to Seoul. He highlighted the company's AI partnerships with South Korean firms as key drivers of future economic growth.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Nadella, in his keynote speech at the Microsoft AI Tour 2025, emphasized the productivity gains achieved through AI, noting that these advancements are not limited to Microsoft but are evident across various sectors in Korea. He cited examples of South Korean companies utilizing Microsoft's AI solutions, such as the generative AI chatbot Copilot, to enhance productivity and customer service.
Nadella pointed to a significant 2.4 trillion-won (US$1.65 billion) partnership with KT Corp., a leading South Korean telecommunications company, as an example of the shared vision for AI's transformative role in daily life and the economy. The collaboration aims to develop AI models tailored to the Korean language and culture, along with new cloud services for Korean corporate customers.
The Microsoft CEO also met with LG Electronics Inc. CEO Cho Joo-wan to discuss their AI partnership, which was announced earlier in January. The partnership focuses on AI collaboration in home, mobility, and commercial sectors, alongside providing LG Electronics' Chiller technology to Microsoft's data centers.
Nadella's meetings and speeches underscore his belief in the potential of AI to drive innovation and economic growth in South Korea and beyond.