Samsung’s Big AI U-Turn Opens ChatGPT and Codex to All Employees

Samsung Electronics just made a major move in AI adoption. On June 21, 2026, it announced a global rollout of ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex for its employees. This covers everyone in Korea and all staff in the Device eXperience division worldwide.

This is a big turnaround. Back in April 2023, Samsung banned employee use of ChatGPT and similar AI tools. The reason? Data security concerns. Some employees had uploaded sensitive internal information to external AI platforms. That set off alarm bells and led to restrictions.

Since then, Samsung cautiously explored AI tools. They ran a two-month test with 2,500 employees. They tried ChatGPT Enterprise, Google Gemini, and Anthropic’s Claude. The goal was to find a secure and productive AI platform for their teams.

Now Samsung has fully embraced OpenAI’s ChatGPT Enterprise and Codex. OpenAI calls this one of their largest enterprise rollouts ever. ChatGPT will help with tasks like searching for information, analyzing materials, drafting documents, brainstorming ideas, and interpreting data. Codex will assist with coding, including writing, reviewing, and debugging software.

OpenAI reports that over 5 million people use Codex each week. In Korea, Codex usage has jumped nearly 800% since February 1, 2026. Samsung’s employees will join that wave as they get access across technical and non-technical teams.

Changing Views on AI at Samsung

Harrison Kim, General Manager of OpenAI Korea, called this deployment “historic.” He said Samsung now sees AI as a company-wide operating layer. It’s not just a productivity tool for a few departments anymore.

That’s a sharp shift from the 2023 ban. The move from a total ban to one of OpenAI’s biggest enterprise rollouts shows a dramatic change in attitude about AI. Samsung is betting on AI to boost efficiency and innovation across the board.

Samsung’s Role Beyond Software

Samsung is not just using AI software. It’s also a key hardware partner for OpenAI. Samsung supplies advanced semiconductor solutions for OpenAI’s Stargate initiative. This includes exclusive production of HBM4 memory for OpenAI’s custom “Titan” AI chip.

Mass production of this memory is planned for late 2026. Samsung’s semiconductor division has been riding an AI-driven profit wave. This helped push Samsung past $1 trillion in market value earlier this year.

Samsung SDS, a subsidiary, became the first Korean company to sign a reseller deal for ChatGPT Enterprise in January 2026. OpenAI CEO Sam Altman visited Samsung’s Suwon campus on June 15, 2026, reflecting the deepening partnership.

With this rollout, Samsung joins a growing list of companies adopting AI tools at scale. The company is moving past past fears about data leaks. Instead, it embraces AI as a core part of its future. Employees worldwide now have powerful AI tools at their fingertips, ready to transform how they work.