South Korean telecom provider SK Telecom (SKT) announced that CEO Ryu Young-sang met with the CEOs of SKT's AI partners to discuss business cooperation to secure leadership in the global AI ecosystem.
At the meeting, which took place at the headquarters of SK Telecom Americas (SKTA), located in Silicon Valley, SKT welcomed four new AI partners, namely CMES, MakinaRocks, Scatter Lab and FriendliAI.
The company has been continuously promoting AI transformation (AIX) through partnerships and collaboration with different AI companies. At the MWC Barcelona, which was held in March 2023, SKT joined hands with seven AI companies, including SAPEON, Bespin Global, Moloco, Konan Technology, Swit, Phantom AI and Tuat.
SKT's CEO, Ryu, reportedly introduced the company's AI vision and business plans to its AI partners. Both the senior executives from SKT and SKT's AI partners also held in-depth discussions on the following: major global AI trends; their latest technological achievements and on-going R&D projects; and global business and investment opportunities.
During the meeting, SKT and CMES, an AI-powered robotics company, exchanged views and ideas on the development of pricing plans for 'Robot as a Service (RaaS)' as well as subscription business models for AI-based RaaS for enterprises.
RaaS is gaining popularity and is being highlighted as an alternative to additional manpower or infrastructure investment for automation, and demand for RaaS is expected to continue to increase in areas including logistics, delivery, construction and healthcare.
Furthermore, in collaboration with Scatter Lab, an AI startup known for the Lee Lu-da chatbot, SKT plans to launch an emotional AI agent integrated within SK Telecom's AI service, 'A.' (pronounced 'A dot'). In April 2023, SKT made a total KRW 15 billion equity investment in Scatter Lab.
The company also discussed measures to establish synergy with MakinaRocks, a startup specializing in industrial AI solutions, and FriendliAI, a startup that provides a platform for developing generative AI models, and agreed to join forces to secure leadership in the global AI market.
"Now with our AI partners on board, we have completed the blueprint for driving new growth in the global market," said Ryu Young-sang, CEO of SKT. "We will work together to develop diverse cooperation opportunities in AI and bring our AI technologies and services to the global market."
