Samsung invests $73B in AI chip race

Samsung Electronics is increasing its investment scale in response to growing competition in the AI semiconductor market. In 2026, the conglomerate plans to allocate over $73 billion for developing production capacity and research, reports Bloomberg. This represents an increase of about 22% year-on-year. The decision aligns with the strategy to reclaim its leadership position in the AI chip sector, where SK Hynix has recently gained an advantage, becoming the main supplier of high-bandwidth memory (HBM) for Nvidia and strengthening its position in the AI system supply chain. Samsung's investment scale surpasses this year's outlays by TSMC, which amount to about $50 billion, signaling a clear escalation of the global technology race in the semiconductor sector. The South Korean conglomerate is focusing on developing next-generation AI chips and advanced manufacturing processes, having already begun commercial deliveries of HBM4 memory, which is crucial for handling AI model workloads. Samsung is also strengthening relationships with key industry partners, including AMD and Nvidia, with the latter selecting Samsung to manufacture its latest AI chips. Simultaneously, the company is analyzing opportunities for acquisitions and mergers, with areas of interest including robotics, medical technologies, automotive electronics, and air conditioning solutions, aiming to support business diversification and build technological advantage in the coming years