사진 확대
Coupang, which reorganized its distribution and logistics markets through rocket delivery, is now entering the artificial intelligence (AI) cloud computing market in earnest. Coupang, which has secured data center infrastructure and high-performance graphics processing units (GPU), is making efforts to secure technology by expanding its recruitment of global developers. Based on the technology accumulated at the distribution site, it also challenged the AI cloud business led by the government. Just as Amazon, a U.S. e-commerce company, has become a global leader by launching a cloud service, Coupang also plans to become a technology-based platform company that leads the AI and cloud markets beyond retail.
According to the distribution industry on the 13th, Coupang is stepping up efforts to recruit global talents by offering an exceptional salary to strengthen its AI cloud business.
Coupang is expanding its hiring of AI, cloud, big data, and software engineers. The location of recruitment is Mountain View, California, the center of Silicon Valley, and the annual salary is up to $324,000 (about 450 million won) and it is a telecommuting or mixed telecommuting type. It is well over twice the average annual salary of a U.S. developer ($120,000). An IT industry official said, “The annual salary of $300,000 for telecommuting is an exceptional condition compared to the leading IT companies in the United States.”
Coupang is expanding its recruitment of local developers not only in the U.S. but also in India. Coupang has announced the launch of its AI cloud business from this year and is speeding up its expansion. Earlier this month, it announced its participation in the cloud market by unveiling a new logo for the ‘Coupang Intelligent Cloud (CIC)’ business, an AI cloud computing service.
AI cloud computing service provides customers to use artificial intelligence by placing various data and programs on the operator’s server. Coupang has been providing cloud services only to Coupang’s internal services, external research institutes, and startups. Coupang has widely used its AI computing business for a number of its own businesses in Coupang for the purpose of improving and operating services for many years. As a result, it has improved the Coupang customer experience and made great achievements in increasing sales of 230,000 small and medium-sized merchants nationwide,” he said.
Coupang already has a large data center in the Seoul metropolitan area. By securing large-capacity power, a state-of-the-art cooling system, and a physical security system, stable operation is possible even in various crisis situations. It is also equipped with a number of high-performance GPUs that can effectively perform complex AI computing.
Coupang said, “We will provide the highest level of AI cloud computing services based on the latest GPU servers and stable large-scale data centers.”
Based on this technology, Coupang also challenged the government’s AI competition support project worth 1.5 trillion won. While domestic cloud operators such as Naver have applied for the government’s “GPU Security, Construction, and Operation Support Project” to secure GPUs and foster AI, retail company Coupang has also attracted attention by throwing its hat into the ring. Coupang is determined to secure 10,000 GPUs for government projects. Like Amazon (AWS), which is a retail company but has become the world’s largest IT company, Coupang also plans to become a technology company.
Earlier, Coupang has been building up its business by solving distribution problems with technology by applying a new concept business model called rocket delivery for the first time. It predicted product demand with AI and machine learning, optimized inventory management and sales products, and reorganized the logistics industry by incorporating data and AI technology into state-of-the-art distribution centers installed across the country.
Coupang ranked fifth in the Retail AI Readiness Index, which was actually analyzed by global research firm CB Insights for top 20 global distribution companies this month. The number of technology patents such as AI owned by Coupang stood at 2,100 (as of 2024), up 13 times from 160 in 2019.
[Reporter Lee Sunhee]