Samsung, Arm Develop Next-Gen Edge AI Chip

According to reports from digital industry sources, Samsung Electronics is working with chip architecture company Arm to develop a next-generation AI chip for edge devices. The two companies have reportedly signed a cooperation agreement and officially launched a system-on-chip (SoC) development project targeting edge artificial intelligence (Edge AI) applications. Arm has also approved the non-recurring engineering (NRE) funding required for the project, indicating that the collaboration has entered the implementation phase.

The project reportedly adopts a Limited Use License (LUL) agreement. Under the planned division of responsibilities, the chip will be developed based on Arm’s AI accelerator (AIC) architecture and RTL code, while Samsung Electronics’ System LSI Business will oversee the overall SoC design. Manufacturing will be handled by Samsung’s foundry business using its advanced 2nm process technology for mass production.

As a technology partner, Arm will provide design support and jointly manage the project schedule, while Samsung Electronics will be responsible for final chip manufacturing and delivery. This arrangement is expected to allow Samsung to integrate its semiconductor design capabilities with its advanced foundry manufacturing technology.

The chip is primarily designed for Edge AI applications, with the goal of reducing the processing burden on cloud data centers while improving local computing performance on end devices. Industry analysts believe OpenAI, which is actively expanding its ecosystem for edge and device-based AI, could potentially become an important customer for the customized chip.

For Samsung Electronics, the joint development project could strengthen collaboration between its chip design and foundry businesses while providing valuable experience in large-scale production of Edge AI chips using 2nm process technology. The project could also help Samsung build a stronger track record in advanced AI semiconductor manufacturing and improve its prospects of securing additional high-end AI chip projects in the future.