Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix, while competing in memory development for artificial intelligence (AI), have agreed to collaborate on accelerating technology standardization.
The Seoul Economic Daily reports that the two memory giants are working together on the standardization of LPDDR6-PIM products. Unlike conventional memory used solely for data storage, processing-in-memory (PIM) can perform computational functions, positioning it as a crucial solution to overcome memory bottlenecks in the era of generative AI.
Technical collaboration underway
The companies have initiated a collaboration to register standards with the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council (JEDEC). Their joint efforts include establishing standardization indicators and suitable parameters. The integration of PIM into LPDDR presents unique challenges, as the technology shifts focus from external bandwidth, which is crucial for existing memory, to internal bandwidth optimization.
Commercial development status
Industry analysts note that both companies view PIM technology as a future growth driver, though meaningful commercial progress remains limited. Samsung has developed high-bandwidth memory (HBM) and LPDDR5 products with PIM capabilities, but standardization efforts have been modest. Similarly, SK Hynix has introduced GDDR6-PIM, though this development remains at an early stage.
The current lack of unified standards, resulting from companies developing products according to their specifications, has hindered industry-wide adoption.
Terminal AI drives innovation
The drive toward PIM commercialization is largely influenced by smart terminal development. Compared to cloud-based AI services like ChatGPT, terminal-based processing offers enhanced security and reduced latency. PIM technology could significantly reduce power consumption by minimizing data movement between processors and memory.
According to MarketsandMarkets, the global terminal AI market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 37.7%, reaching US$173.9 billion by 2030. The industry watches with interest whether Samsung and SK Hynix's collaboration will enable them to lead the development of next-generation memory for future smart terminals.
