While China’s DeepSeek breakthrough may have sparked a conversation about the future of American AI leadership, the continent of Asia also presents significant opportunities for U.S. firms.
For example, OpenAI has recently signed important deals with Japan’s SoftBank and South Korea’s Kakao as it seeks to grow its footprint in strategically important Asian markets.
As OpenAI has grown from a tentative Silicon Valley startup to a global AI behemoth, it has put down roots in Japan, a country that has historically been among the first to embrace new technologies.
After opening its first non-U.S. office in London, Tokyo was a logical next step for the company, which has since doubled down on Japanese language AI research and developed custom solutions for the local market.
In October 2024, Japanese investor SoftBank agreed to invest $500 million in OpenAI as part of CEO Masayoshi Son’s broader push into artificial intelligence.
That initial investment was followed by a proposed $500 billion joint venture between SoftBank, OpenAI and Oracle to build new AI infrastructure in the U.S.
Building on the recent Stargate announcement, on Feb. 3, Son and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman revealed plans to set up another joint venture in Japan to offer AI services to corporate customers.
As part of the deal, SoftBank will pay $3 billion per year for access to OpenAI’s models.
According to the Wall Street Journal, SoftBank also plans to top up its investment in OpenAI by as much as $25 billion in a deal that would make it the startup’s biggest investor to date.
Beyond Son and Altman’s multibillion-dollar plans for the Japanese technology sector, OpenAI has also inked a deal with Kakao to build new AI products for the South Korean internet conglomerate.
At a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 4, Altman and Kakao CEO Chung Shin-a announced a new partnership that will see Kakao integrate OpenAI models into its eponymous chat app and other services.
While in South Korea, Altman also held meetings with SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and SK Hynix CEO Kwak No-jung.
Meanwhile, local media reported that Altman, Son, and Samsung Chairman Lee Jae-yong met to discuss potential cooperation on Stargate, which is expected to be a major AI hardware buyer going forward.
Altman plans to complete his tour of Asia on Wednesday with a trip to India. There, he will meet with business leaders and senior government officials, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IT Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw.
As its CEO’s schedule demonstrates, OpenAI is increasingly looking east for new customers, investors, and partnerships as the American company looks to cement an enduring role in the global AI ecosystem.