United News of Bangladesh

South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics reported a record operating profit of 107.4 trillion won ($80.5 billion) for the July-September quarter, driven by surging demand for memory chips used in artificial intelligence (AI) systems. The company's revenue also reached an all-time high of 195.3 trillion won ($146 billion), marking its fourth consecutive quarter of record profits and revenue, according to a regulatory filing released Thursday. The announcement came a day after rival SK Hynix reported record third-quarter profits. The two South Korean semiconductor manufacturers jointly control about two-thirds of the global memory chip market and are benefiting from rapidly growing demand linked to the worldwide AI boom. Samsung said it expects demand for AI-related chips to continue accelerating through 2027, potentially outstripping supply as companies race to expand their AI infrastructure. The company plans to prioritise advanced memory chips and storage products for AI servers, including high-bandwidth memory (HBM), server dynamic random-access memory (DRAM) and solid-state drives (SSDs). South Korea is investing heavily in semiconductor manufacturing and data centre infrastructure as it seeks to strengthen its position in the global AI industry. In June, Samsung and SK Hynix announced plans to invest a combined 800 trillion won ($599 billion) in a new semiconductor manufacturing hub in southwestern South Korea to capitalise on growing AI-related demand. However, some analysts have questioned whether the massive investments will generate sufficient returns. The country's central bank has also warned that South Korea's export-dependent economy is becoming increasingly reliant on the semiconductor industry, raising concerns that a potential AI market downturn could cause significant economic damage.