SK Telecom Joins South Korea’s ‘AI for All’ Initiative to Deploy Full-Stack National AI Ecosystem
SEOUL — South Korea’s largest telecommunications operator, SK Telecom (SKT), has officially announced its participation in the government-led "AI for All" initiative, deploying its full-stack artificial intelligence infrastructure, proprietary foundation models, and commercial services.
Organized by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) alongside the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA), the national project aims to make advanced AI applications directly accessible to the public across everyday workflows and essential sectors.
To execute the project, SK Telecom has formed a strategic consortium of 20 industry leaders and specialized technology firms. Key participants include AI search developer Liner, financial and payment giants Shinhan Card and Hana Card, mobility platform TMAP Mobility, and broadband and media provider SK Broadband.
The telecom giant is leveraging a comprehensive, vertically integrated AI stack:
Sovereign Foundation Models: Utilizing A.X K2, its recently unveiled 688-billion-parameter proprietary AI model currently deployed across manufacturing, defense, and biotechnology.
Established Service Ecosystem: Capitalizing on A. (A-DoT), its consumer AI assistant that currently serves approximately 10 million monthly active users.
Compute Infrastructure: Anchored by SK Hyper, a newly established subsidiary dedicated to AI data centers, which is developing a combined capacity of 5 gigawatts (GW) by 2029.
Distribution Reach: Utilizing its base of 22.5 million mobile subscribers and extensive omnichannel networks for rapid consumer deployment.
"We plan to integrate the consortium members’ specialized services with AI so the platform can move beyond simply providing information and ultimately execute users’ requests, including reservations and applications," an SK Telecom representative said in a statement.
In its initial deployment phase, the consortium will launch a multi-functional conversational AI chatbot capable of real-time search, summarization, document and image analysis, and schedule automation. The system will progressively evolve into an autonomous agentic platform capable of processing complex transactions, issuing certificates, and executing administrative applications across healthcare, finance, transportation, and public services.
