SK hynix reveals AI-NAND storage plan at OCP Global Summit

SK hynix recently unveiled its ambitious AI-NAND storage roadmap tailored specifically for the thriving AI inference market. The company introduced its latest AI-optimized NAND storage series, the “AIN (AI-NAND) Family,” at the 2025 OCP Global Summit in San Jose, California, which took place from October 13 to 16. This unveiling underscores the evolution of NAND flash technology to meet the speed, efficiency, and density requirements of AI workloads, which are pivotal in shaping the future of data centers and edge computing infrastructure.

At the Executive Session of the event, Chun Sung Kim, the head of eSSD product development at SK hynix, detailed the AIN Family lineup, comprising three NAND-based solutions engineered for enhanced performance, bandwidth, and density. AIN P (Performance) is designed to cater to extensive AI inference workloads by reducing data bottlenecks between storage and AI processors. Through the redesign of both NAND and controllers, SK hynix aims to significantly boost processing speed and energy efficiency, with sample releases slated for the end of 2026.

On the other hand, AIN D (Density) is focused on providing ultra-high-density, low-power storage solutions for vast datasets. SK hynix plans to elevate density from the current terabyte (TB) level to petabyte (PB) capacities, offering a mid-tier solution that combines SSD performance with the cost efficiency akin to HDDs. This strategy builds upon advancements in QLC (quad-level cell) NAND technology, enabling more data to be stored within the same physical footprint.

Meanwhile, AIN B (Bandwidth) harnesses SK hynix’s proprietary HBF (High Bandwidth Flash) technology to enhance data throughput by vertically stacking multiple NAND layers. By amalgamating the stacking principle of HBM (High Bandwidth Memory) with cost-effective NAND, SK hynix aims to narrow the performance disparity driven by increasingly larger AI models and expanding inference workloads.

SK hynix, in a bid to fortify collaboration within the burgeoning HBF ecosystem, co-hosted “HBF Night” alongside SanDisk during the summit. This event followed the memorandum of understanding (MOU) inked between the two companies in August to advance the standardization of HBF technology. The networking gathering at The Tech Interactive in San Jose attracted industry architects, engineers, and researchers, who deliberated on joint strategies to expedite NAND innovation for AI systems.

Ahn Hyun, the president and chief development officer at SK hynix, underscored the company’s enduring vision, stating:

SK hynix’s strategic approach to AI-NAND underscores its aspiration to lead the charge in the forthcoming wave of AI-driven memory and storage innovations. As data center operators and AI developers seek swifter, denser, and more energy-efficient storage solutions, the AIN lineup from SK hynix could serve as a bridge between traditional NAND flash and cutting-edge AI memory technologies. With its established expertise in HBM and NAND advancements, SK hynix is well-positioned to influence the architecture of AI storage systems in the upcoming decade.

SK hynix