In order to publicise its ambitious plans to bring "AI to Everywhere," SK Telecom held a press conference in Barcelona, Spain. These plans call for advancing innovations in five different areas: customer & technology, time & space, AI Transformation (AIX) for Industries, core business model, and ESG.
In just 9 months after its inception, SKT's AI service "A." had amassed 1 million users, according to CEO Ryu. He also disclosed plans to further improve the service in order to position it as the leading AI service in Korea as well as to open up potential in the international market.
SKT is developing A. features that will allow users to engage in highly academic conversations as well as emotional conversations that make users feel as though they are chatting to their friends through the acquisition of appropriate knowledge data and machine learning. For a more intuitive user experience, it also intends to continuously adding functionality to A., minimising the need to switch between apps or do time-consuming searches.
The business wants to increase from 30 to 100 the diversity and scope of A. features/services, and it's now pushing alliances with well-known character manufacturers.
The revised version of A, which will be published within this quarter, will include the additional capabilities, such as complex dialogues, multiple characters, and customizable content, according to CEO Ryu.
He also spoke with A his aspirations to break into the international market by tailoring the service to each market and developing relevant technologies in collaboration with international telcos and AI tech firms.
SKT's CEO, Ryu, stated that the company will give customers more time and space by expanding its business from the ground to the air and from real space to virtual space. SKT will also transition from being a mobile operator to a mobility operator by utilising services like urban air mobility (UAM), autonomous driving, and robots.
He stated that by creating use cases and carrying out test flights, the company is advancing quickly towards the commercialization of UAM service and has strengthened its competitiveness in key UAM technologies like aircraft, the 5G UAM communication network, navigation/control, and location analysis.
In addition, Ryu announced plans to launch a variety of use cases, including a UAM flight between an airport and a city centre and tourism goods, in cooperation with regional authorities in Jeju and Daegu.
The business intends to enter the market for AI solutions in the long-term project of autonomous driving.
He stated that by creating use cases and carrying out test flights, the company is advancing quickly towards the commercialization of UAM service and has strengthened its competitiveness in key UAM technologies like aircraft, the 5G UAM communication network, navigation/control, and location analysis.
In addition, Ryu announced plans to launch a variety of use cases, including a UAM flight between an airport and a city centre and tourism goods, in cooperation with regional authorities in Jeju and Daegu.
The business intends to enter the market for AI solutions in the long-term project of autonomous driving.
With 4 million monthly active users (MAU) and more than 2,500 partners, ifland has developed into Korea's leading metaverse service designed for virtual meetings.
By transforming ifland into a 3D space-based social networking service in April, expanding ifland's economic system through the adoption of a content marketplace and Web3 system, and increasing partnerships both domestically and internationally, according to Ryu, SKT will shape ifland into a global leading social metaverse platform.
He said that through establishing MOUs with international carriers including Deutsche Telekom, T-Mobile US, Axiata, and CelcomDigi, ifland has earned a foothold in the European, North American, and Asian markets.
SKT is helping the AI transformation of businesses with its AI technology, according to CEO Ryu of AI Transformation (AIX) for Industries. The firm is collaborating closely with outstanding startups in fields like infrastructure & hardware, base technology, and application/service, and it intends to continuously diversify into new markets including security, healthcare, advertising, smart factories, and enterprise solutions.
According to him, SKT is expanding quickly in the infrastructure and hardware sectors after partnering with SAPEON Inc. to achieve great results in the AI semiconductor industry.
The SAPEON Inc. AI semiconductor chip X330 is anticipated to offer four times the performance of its predecessor, the X220, when it is delivered in the second half of this year. By providing chips to NHN Cloud, SKT NPU (Neural Processing Unit) Farm, and SK Hynix's Smart Factory, SAPEON is growing its market reach. It is also developing the ecosystem through tight cooperation with Phantom AI (autonomous driving) and Konan Technology (deep learning model).
In less than a year, SAPEON's company worth increased by more than six times, from KRW 80 billion at the time of its founding in 2022 to KRW 500 billion in 2023, thanks to investment.
By working with OpsNow to jointly develop an AI-based cloud management platform, SKT is fostering synergies with Bespin Global, Asia's top managed service provider, in the cloud sector.
By fusing its vast customer data with Moloco's AI/machine learning technology, the company introduced an integrated advertising platform called "ASUM" in the domain of base technology & application/service.
Additionally, SKT is attempting to enter a variety of markets through the use of AI video, machine learning, digital twinning, and other technologies in collaboration with the AI software company Konan Technology. These markets include robot, media, data analysis, commerce, airport, manufacturing, and media.
In order to combine internal and external services like MeetUs and Toktok, perform collaborative marketing by utilising the sales capabilities of SKT and SKB, and enhance AI technologies, the company is also working with Swit, a global provider of work OS solutions.
SKT intends to grow into the worldwide market by collaboration with major cloud service providers by utilising cutting-edge vision AI technologies. Offering 'X Caliber,' a visual AI-based veterinary image diagnostic solution used by over 120 veterinarian clinics, as well as additional services like security dispatch and industrial safety monitoring utilising AI cameras, the company is producing measurable results.
Basic Business Model: CEO Ryu discussed how AI may make SKT's core businesses, including mobile communications, media, and subscriptions, more competitive.
SKT will support a brand-new digital transformation in its mobile telecommunications sector to innovate customer experience through hyper-personalized offerings, in keeping with the trend where borders between industries are blurring.
To improve customer experience and hasten AI transformation throughout the media value chain, the company is preparing AI TV, AI commerce, and AI content.
Last year, SKT's subscription service "T Universe" had a double-digit growth in subscribers, partners, and GMV. This year, efforts will be made to grow the company's growth and profitability by working with well-known international brands, providing additional goods (such as financial, insurance, and rental services), and forging synergies between T-Deal and Btv.
The business intends to introduce an AI-based open subscription commerce platform this year to enable partners to manage and supply products on the platform and to recommend what customers desire through hyper-personalized marketing based on lifecycle data.
CEO Ryu emphasised that SKT wants to use AI to solve social issues in order to improve the globe.
SKT's vision and language AI AI innovations are having a positive impact on society as a whole. A total of 50,000 one-person households have received "AI Care" and "Nugu Care Call," and 400 elderly people have been saved by AI Care in urgent situations. Moreover, SKT's spam filtering system stopped over 4 million instances of smishing in just last year. Also, the business collaborates with a variety of social businesses, such as Tuat, which develops apps to help the visually impaired.
Partnering with AI Tech Companies to Speed Up AI Innovations; CEO Ryu stated that SKT will cooperate with AI tech businesses to speed up AI advancements. In order to introduce their AI technology and long-term goals, the CEOs of SKT's AI partners, including Phantom AI, SAPEON, Bespin Global, Moloco, Konan Technology, Swit, and Tuat, attended the press conference.
Ryu emphasised that SKT will work to create a new ecosystem with its partners and take the lead in bringing about the AI transformation that will provide unmatched value to all customers, businesses, and sectors.
"SKT's AI innovation in the five areas is aimed at realizing 'AI to Everywhere,' which refers to applying AI to every part of our lives," said Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SKT, "Our ultimate goal is to create a world where everyone can benefit from AI."
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