Latest news with #KimYoung-shub
Korea Herald
28-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
KT signs W130b AI deal with Vietnam's Viettel
KT, one of Korea's leading telecom carriers, said Tuesday that it signed a strategic partnership with Viettel Group, Vietnam's largest telecom operator for collaboration on artificial intelligence transformation business. The agreement, valued at approximately 130 billion won ($94 million), marks a significant step in KT's efforts to lead AI innovation across Southeast Asia. The signing ceremony took place Monday at Viettel's headquarters in Hanoi, attended by KT CEO Kim Young-shub and Viettel Chair and CEO Tao Duc Thang. Ahead of the event, CEO Kim also met with Vietnamese Deputy Prime Minister Nguyen Chi Dung and Vice Minister of Science and Technology Bui The Duy to discuss national-level cooperation in AI transformation. Under the agreement, KT and Viettel will collaborate across six key areas: AI transformation consulting, AI business development, consumer and SME solutions, AI and cloud infrastructure, a global development center and joint market expansion. KT will support Viettel in developing a national AI strategy and building localized services such as AI agents and anti-voice-phishing solutions. The two companies also plan to co-develop AI infrastructure, such as a dedicated data center and a GPU farm, and establish a Global Development Center in Hanoi to cultivate regional talent. KT will additionally expand its AI education platform, AICE, throughout Vietnam to train future AI professionals. 'Viettel and KT have formed a strategic partnership to deliver modern solutions across Vietnam and global markets, combining KT's technology with Viettel's local expertise,' Viettel Group Chair and CEO Tao Duc Thang stated. KT CEO Kim Young-shub added, 'This partnership will drive Viettel's AI transformation and foster innovation across Southeast Asia, strengthening KT's role as a global AI innovation partner.'
Korea Herald
13-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
KT enters Palantir's ecosystem, expanding AI transformation capabilities
Following its strategic partnership with Microsoft in September, KT Corp. is continuing its aggressive global expansion by forging a new alliance with Palantir Technologies, a constituent of the S&P 500 index. The telecom carrier said Thursday it has signed a strategic partnership agreement with artificial intelligence platform company Palantir to accelerate AI transformation, or AX, initiatives. Palantir is a software platform developer specializing in large-scale data integration and analysis that aids government and corporate decision-making. The company provides AI-powered platforms to the US Department of Defense and collaborates with intelligence agencies such as the CIA and FBI. Its solutions are widely applied in security, defense and cybersecurity sectors. As a result of the recent partnership, KT becomes the first Korean company to join Palantir's Worldwide Partner Ecosystem, a global network of business and technology experts. The collaboration will focus on launching joint ventures in Korea's AX market, particularly within the financial sector. By integrating KT's cloud and network infrastructure with Palantir's key AI solutions, the two companies aim to deliver tailored services that enhance security and regulatory compliance in industries where such factors are critical. The two companies will also cooperate on the development of KT's secure public cloud, set for commercialization in the second quarter of this year. KT SPC is a cloud platform designed to facilitate AX by offering a packaged infrastructure and customized AI services. Through the partnership, customers using KT SPC will gain access to Palantir's solutions within a highly secure environment. Palantir's mission to streamline operations through data integration aligns with KT SPC's strategy to implement AX across public, defense and industrial sectors, making the partnership a natural fit. Additionally, the two firms will co-develop a Korea-specific AI platform education program, dubbed AIP Bootcamp, and provide AI and data competency training for KT employees. AIP Bootcamp, which was conducted about 1,300 times in the US last year, will be adapted to the Korean market to enhance customer understanding and use of Palantir solutions. For KT employees, the partnership will provide opportunities for collaborative projects with Palantir's global engineers. The US software company will also train KT workers on its proprietary solutions and services. KT plans to integrate Palantir's software internally to enhance business quality and optimize operational processes. KT's pursuit of global collaboration stems from its urgency to generate tangible results as its AI and ICT enterprise. While Korean telecom companies have declared AI-driven transformations, none have yet realized substantial monetization. By partnering with leading global firms, KT aims to develop competitive solutions that generate revenue. Earlier this month, KT CEO Kim Young-shub reaffirmed this commitment at Mobile World Congress 2025, in Barcelona, Spain, stating, 'We will accelerate efforts to achieve visible outcomes with Microsoft this year.' KT anticipates that the commercialization of its Korean-adapted AI, based on GPT-4o, and KT SPC in the second quarter will mark a critical turning point for monetization. 'By collaborating with Palantir, we will position ourselves as Korea's leading AX accelerator with overwhelming competitive strength in domestic and international markets,' the telecom carrier chief said.
Korea Herald
05-03-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
KT to launch AX unit with Microsoft in March
KT Corp. Chief Executive Officer Kim Young-shub said the company is set to launch a new artificial intelligence collaboration unit with Microsoft this month as part of its strategic push into AI. Speaking at a press conference in Barcelona on Tuesday, Kim unveiled plans to establish an AI Transformation Delivery Center, solidifying KT's commitment to AI innovation alongside Microsoft. 'The AX Delivery Center will be a talent hub comprising over 300 experts from both companies,' the CEO said. 'It will focus on accumulating world-class AX capabilities, developing customer-centric AI solutions and swiftly executing AX projects tailored to corporate needs.' In addition to forming the specialized center, KT has restructured its internal organizations to bolster AI expertise among employees. Measures include introducing an AX-prioritized job classification system, creating industry-specific AX communities and launching an AI education center covering key sectors such as education, healthcare, defense, energy and shipbuilding. KT's deepening partnership with Microsoft follows a landmark agreement signed in October, which outlined a five-year, 2.4 trillion won ($1.6 billion) collaboration in AI and cloud technology. The CEO said, 'We will accelerate our efforts to achieve tangible results with Microsoft this year.' Through the dedicated AI unit, the two companies aim to expand into the enterprise AI transformation solutions market while developing Korea-specific sovereign AI models and cloud platforms. Kim highlighted KT's ambition to commercialize its 'Korean AI' model and security public cloud by the second quarter of this year. 'Korean AI is designed not only to process the Korean language but to deeply understand Korean culture, values and history while ensuring compliance with local regulations and security frameworks,' he said. The telecom carrier plans to integrate its large language model, Mi:dm, with Microsoft's AI solutions and various open-source models to create market-optimized AX solutions for Korea. According to KT, the SPC will offer high-security cloud services in full compliance with domestic laws and regulations. KT is also preparing to introduce a business-to-consumer AI service in the second quarter, competing with offerings such as SK Telecom's A. and LG Uplus' ixi O. As part of its broader AI strategy, KT will begin operating an AX strategic fund this month. The fund, jointly financed by KT and Microsoft, aims to support AI transformation among startups and small to mid-sized enterprises while fostering an AI-driven ecosystem led by KT. Additionally, the fund will facilitate the stable procurement of GPUs. Under the agreement, KT will invest 13 billion won, while Microsoft will contribute equivalent GPU resources.
Korea Herald
24-02-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
Telecom carriers to showcase AI innovations at MWC 2025
South Korea's three major mobile carriers -- SK Telecom, KT Corp. and LG Uplus -- are set to compete in artificial intelligence innovations at the Mobile World Congress 2025, the world's largest telecom exhibition, scheduled to take place in Barcelona, Spain, March 3-6. This year's MWC theme is "Converge, Connect, Create,' according to industry sources Monday. The theme reflects the industry's commitment to integrating and connecting diverse mobile technologies through AI to create next-generation solutions. Key exhibition topics include Fifth-generation Inside, Connect X, AI Plus, Enterprise re-invented, Game Changers and Our Digital DNA, outlining the future of the mobile industry. Until last year, only SK Telecom and KT had showrooms at MWC. However, LG Uplus will establish a dedicated booth for the first time this year, demonstrating its commitment to AI competition. Chief executive officers from all three carriers -- Ryu Young-sang of SK Telecom, Kim Young-shub of KT and Hong Bum-shik of LG Uplus -- will be present at the event, unveiling their visions for AI transformation while fostering collaboration with global tech giants. SK will present its innovations under the theme "Innovative AI, Accelerating the Future." The company will showcase AI-enhanced telecom services, AI data center solutions and autonomous robots, highlighting its industry applications. A key focus will be its AI data center solutions, featuring integrated technologies related to memory and security. Additionally, it will set up a dedicated area highlighting AI semiconductor technologies developed under the SK Group umbrella. This space will feature cutting-edge products such as SK hynix's fifth-generation HBM3E chips and high-performance solid-state drives for data centers, alongside AI inference-optimized neural processing unit technologies from Rebellions, a company strategically backed by SK Telecom. As a board member of the GSMA, the global association organizing MWC, KT will actively participate in discussions on telecom and network policy. The company will introduce the "K-Office" concept, modeled after its Seoul office building, to demonstrate its Korea-specific AI solutions for improving work efficiency. Attendees can experience firsthand AI-powered solutions for market analysis, GPU allocation, carbon emission tracking and customer service optimization. KT will also host a startup booth, showcasing innovations from partner startups in future networks and 5G precision positioning technologies. LG will mark its first-ever solo exhibition at MWC25, centering on "Trustworthy Intelligence." The company will unveil AI-driven solutions with enhanced security, including its AI agent ixi O. the telecom-specialized AI model ixi-GEN and anti-deep voice, a technology designed to detect deepfake voices and prevent voice phishing scams. The company will also introduce ixi Future Ville, an installation showcasing AI-driven lifestyle transformations. This exhibition will illustrate how LG Uplus' AI technology, ixi, helps customers navigate daily challenges while fostering a more sustainable future.
