Samsung grabs AI talent to quicken growth beyond memory chips

Samsung Electronics is attempting a rapid buildup of its artificial intelligence program led by chief Lee Jae-yong to catch up with front-runners like Google and diversify an earnings base skewed toward chipmaking. By 2020, the South Korean manufacturer aims to have 1,000 AI developers working in five countries. In May, Samsung appointed ex-Google AI developer David Eun as its first chief innovation officer, according to a source familiar with the matter. Since joining the South Korean company about six years ago, Eun has forged partnerships with startups and worked on investments. Samsung did not officially announce the creation of the new post, but an executive said the CIO's role is to "cultivate new businesses of the future on themes like AI and the'fourth industrial revolution,'" using a term for networked machines.