[Why Korea] Why Do You Need to Understand Before You Can Understand AI?

 

In the previous episode, we explored why South Korea has made AI a national strategy.

But whenever people talk about AI, one word keeps appearing.

Semiconductors.

They show up in AI news, in discussions about the global economy, and even dominate conversations in the stock market.

So what exactly is a semiconductor?

And why do you need to understand semiconductors before you can truly understand AI?

AI Can't Exist on Its Own

Many people think of AI as software.

After all, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude all appear as applications on a screen.

But AI cannot operate by itself.

No matter how advanced an AI model is, it cannot generate a single answer without semiconductors performing the actual calculations.

Just as the human brain depends on billions of neurons to think, AI depends on semiconductors to process information.

Without them, AI simply cannot function.

Not All Semiconductors Are the Same

Here's something many people don't realize.

A semiconductor is not a single product.

Just as a car needs an engine, brakes, and a transmission, different semiconductors perform different jobs.

Broadly speaking, there are two major types of semiconductors.

The first is the system semiconductor.

These include CPUs and GPUs, which process calculations and execute instructions.

Among them, the GPU has become especially important because it can perform thousands of calculations simultaneously, making it the ideal processor for AI.

The second is the memory semiconductor.

Instead of performing calculations, it stores and delivers the enormous amounts of data that AI needs to process.

AI doesn't just need computing power.

It also needs data to move quickly and continuously.

In other words, AI only works when system semiconductors and memory semiconductors work together.

Why Semiconductors Have Become So Important

Semiconductors have always been essential components inside smartphones and computers.

But the rise of AI has changed their importance completely.

Modern AI models process enormous amounts of information.

The larger the AI becomes, the more calculations it must perform—and the faster data must move.

As a result, building a powerful AI model is no longer enough.

Having access to powerful semiconductors has become just as important.

This is why the world's biggest technology companies are investing not only in AI software, but also in semiconductor technology.

Today's AI race is no longer just about software.

It is also a race for semiconductors.

One Question Still Remains

Now we understand why semiconductors are essential to AI.

But another question naturally follows.

Which type of semiconductor has become the most important in the AI era?

And why does the world keep turning its attention to South Korea whenever that semiconductor is mentioned?

In the next episode, we'll explore why the world increasingly depends on Korean semiconductors in the age of AI.

Curious about Korea?

So am I.