Tech Magnate Lee Hae-jin Departs for U.S. to Oversee AI Endeavor in Silicon Valley
Rewritten Article:
Lee Hae-jin, the genius mind behind Naver, graced the Naver Green Factory headquarters in Seongnam, Gyeonggi, following the 26th annual general shareholder meeting. A polarizing figure, Lee is leading Naver on an aggressive journey to boost its AI capabilities worldwide, particularly in the US, as it claws its way towards the top echelon of AI innovation.
Recently, Naver established Naver Ventures, a venture arm based in Silicon Valley, with the primary goal of tapping into AI talent and investing in promising AI technologies and cutting-edge startups in the U.S. This strategic shift deviates from Naver's previous, more conservative in-house approach spearheaded by its startup incubator, D2 Startup Factory (D2SF). The new venture arm is designed to be a bolder and more autonomous instrument to vie for global dominance in the AI sphere.
Lee, making his first official overseas expedition since his return as chairman of Naver’s board in 2025, is axing through Silicon Valley to secure AI investments and develop partnerships with AI entrepreneurs, engineers, and venture capitalists.
Naver's AI technology portfolio includes HyperCLOVA X, a sophisticated language model they've created. Yet, it has stumbled in rivaling large AI competitors like ChatGPT from OpenAI and AI companies in China, such as DeepSeek. To circumvent this, Naver has opened up its AI models, such as the open-sourced HyperCLOVA X, geared towards commercial use. This move is aimed at boosting adoption among small and medium-sized enterprises scared away by cost and licensing constraints. The company anticipates releasing an affordable, specialized inference version of HyperCLOVA X in the first half of 2025, prioritizing applications like enhanced visual and speech recognition, web search automation, and API integration.
In striving for AI autonomy amidst rising geopolitical tech tension, Naver emphasizes the significance of AI sovereignty, and the importance of procuring and operating AI independently within Korea, backed by the national government. The company has also established a new "Tech Business" division under the CEO to fuel AI development and international growth, marking AI as a crucial growth area moving forward.
Under the command of Lee, Naver is escalating its AI development by bolstering international (specifically U.S.) investments and collaborations, broadening its proprietary AI models like HyperCLOVA X, and pushing for AI sovereignty to face off against industry heavyweights like ChatGPT. This comprehensive strategy reflects the transition from slow, deliberate progress to a more aggressive, globally competitive AI strategy.
- Lee Hae-jin, as he ventures into Silicon Valley, aims to invest in artificial-intelligence (AI) technologies and startups, collaborating with AI entrepreneurs, engineers, and venture capitalists to empower Naver's global dominance in the AI industry.
- Recognizing the importance of AI autonomy and sovereignty in the midst of escalating geopolitical tech tensions, Naver is bolstering its AI capabilities not only by broadening its proprietary AI models such as HyperCLOVA X, but also by investing in the US market, with a focus on developing AI technologies that cater to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), thus competing with industry giants like ChatGPT.
