SK chairman calls for sustainable AI biz model amid investment boom

ULSAN, South Korea - Chey Tae-won, chairman of the SK Group, has urged for the creation of a sustainable business model for artificial intelligence (AI) amidst a surge in investment in the technology. Speaking at the SK Group's annual Ulsan Forum 2026, Chey emphasized that the massive investment pouring into AI must ultimately yield profits to sustain growth.

"Given the amount of energy and resources invested in AI, we must establish better business models to monetize it," Chey stated. He identified speed, scale, and safety as the key pillars of SK's AI strategy, while stressing the need for viable business models to ensure the long-term sustainability of AI investments.

Chey also cautioned against the risk of an AI investment bubble if the vast capital and resources flowing into the sector fail to generate sufficient returns, highlighting the need to create a self-sustaining ecosystem where AI-related profits can finance further investment. The SK Group is constructing a large-scale AI data center in Ulsan, a southeastern industrial city, in collaboration with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

The data center, with a projected capacity of nearly 900 megawatts, is expected to commence operations by the second half of 2027.