Samsung Electronics names AI guru as head of R&D hub

SEOUL, June 24 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday it has named a renowned artificial intelligence (AI) expert as chief of its research and development (R&D) hub.

The South Korean tech giant said Sebastian Seung, professor at Princeton University's Neuroscience Institute and Department of Computer Science, will lead Samsung Research, the R&D hub of Samsung's set business.

Seung, 54, will be responsible for managing Samsung's 15 R&D centers and seven AI centers in 13 countries to secure future technologies, according to the company.

Samsung said it expects Seung, who previously worked at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Bell Labs, to boost its AI capability in the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution by utilizing his experience, research ability and network.

Since 2018, the Korean-American has been helping Samsung's research and business plans in the AI sector as chief research scientist at Samsung Research, contributing to the establishment of global AI centers and the recruitment of talented scientists.

Samsung, the world's largest memory chip and smartphone maker, said reinforcing its AI capability will also enhance its competitiveness in the non-memory semiconductor sector.

In April last year, Samsung announced a vision to become the world's No. 1 logic chip maker by 2030 by investing 133 trillion won (US$110 billion) and bolstering its competitiveness in the system LSI and foundry businesses.

Seung's appointment comes after Samsung Electronics Vice Chairman Lee Jae-yong, the de facto leader of South Korea's top conglomerate, vowed to bring in talented individuals who can make Samsung better during his press conference last month.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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