Korea's SKT aims for $32 bn in corporate value via AI tech by 2026

South Korea’s top mobile carrier SK Telecom Co. is aiming to quadruple its corporate value, currently around 11 trillion won ($7.9 billion), by 2026 via digital transformation based on artificial intelligence (AI).

The SK Group’s telecom arm has defined AI as its core business to provide innovative client services, said SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-sang in a town hall meeting at the company's Seoul-based headquarters on Nov. 7.

The company will apply AI technologies to improve customer experiences in search, selection and use of mobile plans.

For the content business, it will expand AI-based services that provide recommendation services based on users' viewing histories and preferences, as well as incorporate its media business in internet protocol television (IPTV), cable TV and home shopping channels.

The company has redefined its business-to-business unit as AI Enterprise, aiming to support the digital transformation of its enterprise partners with AI technologies, data centers, dedicated lines, internet of things and cloud services.

It will also enhance user experiences via customized assistant service A., pronounced as A dot, content subscription service T Universe and metaverse platform Ifland with strengthened AI technologies.

In the mid to long term, the company will invest in firms with AI technologies or AI-powered content development, the CEO said. It will also intensify its robotics and vision AI tech through mergers and acquisitions, he added.

Write to Han-Gyeol Seon at always@hankyung.com
Jihyun Kim edited this article.