LG AI Research Establishes an AI Research Center With SNU to Lead the Global AI Industry

At the end of 2021, LG AI Research debuted EXAONE, a super-giant multi-modal AI, attracting a lot of attention both at home and abroad. Going one step further this year, LG AI Research declared a new leap forward by working on commercializing and applying EXAONE in people’s everyday life.

[Photo 1] (From left) Gunhee Kim, Wonjong Lee, and Bohyung Han, Associate Professors from the Department of Artificial Intelligence in the College of Engineering at SNU; Gyeongmu Lee, Professor from the same department and university; Kyunghoon Bae, Chief of LG AI Research; Seunghwan Kim, Jungkyu Choi, and Moontae Lee, Lab Leaders at LG AI Research.

LG AI Research, an organization that is working hard to provide new experiences and a better life for customers through EXAONE, signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with the Department of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the College of Engineering at Seoul National University (SNU), building a foundation to develop a research center that will lead the global AI industry.

The main content of the MOU between LG AI Research and SNU's Department of AI is to build a joint AI research center. In addition, the two organizations are going to start research on applied technologies to build the next generation of AI models while operating the center. In particular, LG AI Research is going to expand the possibilities of EXAONE, a super-giant multi-modal AI that LG AI Research unveiled in 2021, with a focus on applied research utilizing EXAONE and industry-related expertise. In addition, through the joint research center that will be operated together with SNU, LG AI Research wants to create a platform where talented individuals from the two institutions can interact with each other. Based on their communication and interaction, LG AI Research plans to host and participate in prestigious international conferences.

[Photo 2] Gyeongmu Lee, SNU Department of AI Professor (left) and Kyunghoon Bae, Chief of LG AI Research.

Meanwhile, Kyunghoon Bae, Chief of LG AI Research and Gyeongmu Lee, SNU Department of AI Professor, were appointed as co-chiefs of the research center at the MOU ceremony held on February 28 at SNU. The two co-chiefs of the research center expressed their excitement for the bright future that will result from the MOU.

Kyunghoon Bae, Chief of LG AI Research, said, “By creating a joint research center together with SNU, which has top AI researchers in South Korea, we have now created a steppingstone to lead the research on world-class, super-giant multi-modal AI,” expressing his excitement for the MOU. He added, “We are going to make the research center the world’s top research center by collaborating with each other in various areas beyond joint AI research, such as engaging in human exchange, hosting AI forums and participating in academic conferences together,” revealing his future plans to create a leading global AI research center.

Gyeongmu Lee, SNU Department of AI Professor, said, “This MOU is an important and significant step for the development of the AI sector in South Korea. Through the collaboration with LG AI Research, which possesses top AI infrastructures and data, and SNU's Department of AI, which has world-class faculty and students, we have now built a foundation for securing practical AI technologies and fostering talents that will enable us to lead the world.”

LG AI Research plans to continue its research together with SNU's Department of AI to introduce technologies that will lead the global AI industry, and wishes for support for the new future brought by the AI research center that will be jointly operated by LG AI Research and SNU, two institutes in South Korea with top talents.