Samsung’s chip profit soars after AI fuels demand for memory

Samsung Electronics Co.’s semiconductor arm reported a bigger-than-expected 80% surge in profit, suggesting global AI demand is helping drive a recovery at the Korean company’s most important business.

The unit, which competes with SK Hynix Inc. and US-based Micron Technology Inc., said it will focus next year on mass production of the next generation of high-bandwidth memory or HBM4 — designed to work in tandem with AI accelerators from Nvidia Corp. The company echoed SK Hynix’s prediction that a spending spree in artificial intelligence will…