LG and Tenstorrent Expand Partnership to Enhance AI Chip Capabilities
Collaboration Spans On-Device AI, Future Mobility and More
SEOUL, Nov. 12, 2024 — LG Electronics (LG) and Tenstorrent are pleased to announce an expanded collaboration, building on their initial chiplet project to develop System-on-Chips (SoCs) and systems for the global market. Through this partnership, LG aims to enhance its design and development capabilities for AI chips tailored to its products and services, aligning with its vision of “Affectionate Intelligence.” LG is dedicated to advancing AI-driven innovation, with a focus on enhancing its AI-powered home appliances and smart home solutions, as well as expanding its capabilities in future mobility and commercial applications.
Recognizing the critical role of high-performance AI semiconductors in implementing AI technology, LG plans to strengthen its in-house development capabilities while collaborating with leading global companies, including Tenstorrent, to boost its AI competitiveness.
Tenstorrent is renowned for its ability to design world-class high-performance computing (HPC) semiconductors using its RISC-V* IP (Ascalon) and AI IP (Tensix). Their IP is engineered to scale from milliwatts to megawatts, delivering exceptional efficiency and performance.
Recently, LG CEO William Cho met with Tenstorrent CEO Jim Keller at the LG Twin Towers in Yeouido, Seoul, to discuss strategic collaboration. The meeting was attended by key executives from each company, including LG’s CTO Kim Byoung-hoon and the head of the SoC Center, as well as Tenstorrent’s CCO David Bennett and VP of Automotive.
During their discussions, the two companies explored opportunities to leverage their intellectual properties, design assets and technologies, aiming to create synergies across various business areas including AI home appliances, smart home solutions, future mobility, and video processing solutions for the data center market. Both CEOs emphasized the importance of enhancing capabilities in next-generation system semiconductors, including RISC-V and chiplets, to navigate the rapidly evolving AI landscape. Additionally, Tenstorrent and LG are considering the establishment of a long-term internship program as part of their collaboration.
LG is committed to advancing its AI-related software and algorithm technologies to provide customers with products, platforms and services based on generative AI. This includes the development of AI chips to secure competitiveness in on-device AI technology.
“Tenstorrent is bringing the industry’s best AI and RISC-V technology to this collaboration,” said William Cho, CEO of LG Electronics. “We aim to deliver a new customer experience through our unique Affectionate Intelligence, focusing on personalized, caring and attentive solutions that better understand our customers and can provide tangible value.”
“LG has a strong SoC development organization and Tenstorrent is excited to continue to partner with them,” said Jim Keller, CEO of Tenstorrent. “Customers are looking for customizable solutions – our AI and RISC-V technology enables LG to own their silicon future.”
Meanwhile, LG has established a dedicated SoC R&D center specializing in system semiconductor design and development. The SoC Center excels in the design, development and verification of these chips, focusing on advancing high-performance SoCs using the chiplet technology. Chiplet technology integrates multiple chips into a single package and is gaining attention due to the rising demand for high-performance, low-power AI semiconductors.
The system chips used in LG’s key products have all been developed under the leadership of the SoC Center. LG’s proprietary AI chip for home appliances, “DQ-C,” and the “LG α (Alpha) 11 AI Processor” for OLED TVs have significantly strengthened the company’s leadership in the global AI appliance and premium TV markets.
As AI becomes increasingly pivotal in the industry, the importance of system chip design capabilities is growing across all business areas. LG is continuously enhancing its system semiconductor design capabilities and linking them with AI-related software and algorithm technologies to proactively prepare for the future. Ultimately, the goal is to provide Affectionate Intelligence solutions in all everyday spaces, offering a differentiated customer experience.
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* RISC-V is an open-source instruction set architecture (ISA) based on reduced instruction set computing (RISC) principles, allowing for flexible and customizable processor designs.