The accelerating global boom in artificial intelligence is not only transforming industries but also fundamentally reshaping economic power dynamics across Asia’s technology sector. In a remarkable shift that signals a new era of innovation, South Korea’s preeminent technology corporations — Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix — are expected to surpass the market valuations of China’s most influential internet giants. This turning point highlights how the epicenter of value creation is steadily migrating from digital platforms and online services toward the more foundational technologies that make artificial intelligence possible, particularly advanced semiconductor design and manufacturing.
For years, China’s dominant internet conglomerates stood as the region’s uncontested leaders in market capitalization, driving the digital economy through e‑commerce, social media, and online infrastructure. However, the advent of AI has altered the competitive equation. Semiconductor companies such as Samsung and SK Hynix now find themselves at the heart of this transformation, producing the high-performance memory chips and processors that fuel the computations behind machine learning systems, large language models, and complex data processing. Their technical sophistication, combined with vast manufacturing capacity, has positioned them as indispensable players in the AI supply chain.
This ongoing reordering of value reflects a broader trend: as global demand for AI capabilities surges, the economic significance of hardware innovation is rapidly eclipsing that of traditional internet-based business models. The growth trajectory of Samsung and SK Hynix underscores how nations investing in cutting-edge semiconductor and hardware technologies can secure a strategic edge in the race to dominate the next generation of computing. In this context, South Korea emerges as a pivotal force shaping Asia’s technological landscape, demonstrating that leadership in the AI era will hinge not only on software ingenuity but equally on mastery over the physical foundations of intelligent systems.
Ultimately, the rise of Samsung and SK Hynix symbolizes more than a shift in corporate rankings—it represents a profound transformation in how technological value is generated and distributed. The AI revolution, with its insatiable need for processing power and data efficiency, is redrawing Asia’s economic map, emphasizing the strategic centrality of semiconductor innovation. As investors, policymakers, and global markets recalibrate their expectations, the ascent of these South Korean powerhouses stands as both a testament to the vitality of the region’s hardware sector and a preview of the new industrial order being shaped by artificial intelligence.
Sourse: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2026-02-03/samsung-sk-hynix-to-top-value-of-chinese-duo-as-ai-boom-shifts
