S. Korean firms unveil plans for gov't-led AI project

SEOUL, September 4 (Yonhap) -- Three major South Korean telecommunications and tech firms - SK Telecom, KT Corp, and Kakao Corp - jointly unveiled their government-backed AI project plans on Friday. The companies showcased their respective strategies at a press conference in central Seoul, with CEOs Jeong Jai-hun of SK Telecom, Park Yun-yeong of KT, and Chung Shin-a of Kakao in attendance.

The Science Ministry had recently selected these three teams to develop AI services under the "AI for All" initiative, as part of their commitment to enhance public accessibility to AI models. The companies were mandated to utilize domestic AI models for a minimum of 50% of their systems, backed by government funding and GPU resources.

By year-end, the firms anticipate launching their AI services. The Kakao-led consortium aims to roll out a universal chatbot and an AI agent focused on public services, based on its Kanana AI model and the Exaone AI model developed by LG AI Research. Meanwhile, KT's team plans to introduce a real-time search-based AI agent and a platform linking around ten AI services, each catering to various domains such as public services, education, finance, and shopping.

SK Telecom's proposed AI service will not only respond to user inquiries but also execute additional tasks like identification, application, and purchases. The ultimate aim of the "AI for All" project, as stated by Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon, is to seamlessly integrate these new domestic AI services into everyday life. Minister Bae urged the companies to collaborate in launching the services within the year, emphasizing the potential to improve people's convenience and create a new domestic AI market for businesses.