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Samsung Electronics' Seocho headquarters. / Yonhap

Samsung Electronics is teaming up with French artificial intelligence firm Mistral AI to build a proprietary AI model tailored for semiconductor design and manufacturing. By combining the chip technology and manufacturing data of Samsung Electronics' Device Solutions (DS) Division with Mistral AI's advanced AI capabilities, the tech giant aims to shorten development timelines, enhance manufacturing efficiency and quality, and bolster security for core technical data through an on-premises deployment. Samsung Electronics has also made an equity investment in Mistral AI, laying the groundwork for long-term technological collaboration.

Samsung Electronics announced on the 8th (local time) that it signed a strategic partnership with Mistral AI to co-develop a proprietary AI model specialized in chip design and fabrication. The partnership coincided with the bilateral summit between South Korea and France.

The two companies plan to build a "semiconductor-specialized AI" that enhances overall productivity and precision across chip operations by merging the DS Division's semiconductor technology and production datasets with Mistral AI's high-efficiency model architectures.

Leveraging Mistral AI's solutions, including its large language model (LLM) Mistral Large, Samsung Electronics will develop a proprietary AI model optimized for the DS Division's proprietary data. The company plans to deploy this model in phases across chip design and fabrication lines—focusing on data analysis, defect prediction, and process optimization—to trim development cycles while elevating manufacturing yield and quality.

Beyond the AI model, the two partners will jointly establish an AI platform and operating infrastructure optimized for semiconductor workflows. In particular, they will adopt an on-premises framework where the AI model runs on Samsung's internal servers and data centers, ensuring that critical national technologies and proprietary chip data can be leveraged without being transferred outside the company.

Founded in France in 2023 by CEO Arthur Mensch alongside AI researchers from Google DeepMind and Meta, Mistral AI develops high-efficiency LLMs such as Mistral Large and Mixtral. The company delivers tailored, on-premises AI solutions to sectors handling sensitive data, including finance and manufacturing, expanding its footprint as a leading European AI powerhouse balancing U.S. Big Tech dominance.

Samsung Electronics intends to broaden its cooperation with Mistral AI across its entire DS Division, spanning memory, foundry, and logic segments. As Mistral AI expands its AI infrastructure operations alongside its proprietary models, Samsung also plans to explore new business synergies linking the startup's efforts with its comprehensive semiconductor capabilities.

The partnership also entailed a direct financial commitment, with Samsung Electronics making an equity investment in Mistral AI to solidify strategic ties. The investment provides a stable foundation for enduring technological cooperation and joint business initiatives.

Samsung Electronics has recently been accelerating touchpoints with leading global AI firms. In October last year, the company forged a strategic partnership with OpenAI to build core global AI infrastructure, joining OpenAI's massive AI infrastructure initiative, Project Stargate, as a strategic memory partner. Samsung plans to deepen this cooperation by leveraging its full-stack semiconductor capabilities, including high-performance and low-power memory, logic design, foundry manufacturing, and advanced packaging.

In May this year, Samsung also took part in Anthropic's Series H funding round. Anthropic designated Samsung as a strategic infrastructure partner, paving the way for joint opportunities as global AI infrastructure continues to scale up.

The latest alliance with Mistral AI marks an extension of this broader push to partner with premier global AI pioneers. Following its infrastructure and chip collaboration with OpenAI and its strategic investment in Anthropic, Samsung Electronics is broadening its global AI ecosystem by forging strategic ties with Mistral AI.

Through this multi-pronged strategy, Samsung aims to capture surging demand for memory and logic chips driven by the proliferation of AI models and services, while simultaneously integrating cutting-edge AI technologies into its own semiconductor R&D and manufacturing floors.

                                                                                                              Lee Ji-sun