SK Telecom’s Vision: Building a Future with AI at its Core

SK Telecom is undergoing a significant transformation centered around AI, as outlined at MWC 2026 in Barcelona. The company is not just incorporating new AI tools but is fundamentally restructuring its core systems, expanding its data center capacity to a gigawatt scale, and enhancing its large language model to over one trillion parameters.

During a press conference at MWC 2026, SK Telecom CEO Jung Jai-hun introduced the company’s “AI Native” strategy, emphasizing the reorganization of infrastructure and substantial investments to position Korea as one of the world’s top three AI powers.

The core of this strategy involves redesigning SK Telecom’s integrated IT systems to be AI-optimized, enabling personalized plans and memberships based on individual customer usage and behavior patterns. Additionally, the company plans to implement a Zero Trust security framework for enhanced security measures.

SK Telecom is also focusing on automating network operations using AI, aiming to improve speed and reduce latency through AI-RAN technology. This shift signifies a broader industry change from legacy systems to AI-driven processes, impacting pricing, service design, and fault detection.

Furthermore, SK Telecom is developing a unified AI agent to streamline customer interactions and simplify services like pricing, roaming, and memberships. The company is integrating AI across touchpoints, including its customer portal and online store, to offer tailored suggestions and enhance customer service experiences.

In terms of infrastructure, SK Telecom is constructing hyperscale AI data centers exceeding 1 gigawatt capacity to position Korea as a major AI hub in Asia. The company is also upgrading its AI models to process image, voice, and video data, collaborating with partners like OpenAI for advancements in AI technology.

SK Telecom’s internal operations are also evolving, with initiatives like the AX Dashboard to monitor AI usage, an AI Board to oversee transformation efforts, and an AI playground for employees to build AI agents without coding. This internal transformation aims to drive future growth and create a culture centered around AI innovation.

Overall, SK Telecom’s comprehensive approach to AI integration across infrastructure, models, applications, and internal governance signifies a shift towards AI as the operating model rather than a separate feature. The company’s vision is to lead true AI-native transformation for Korean customers and enterprises, emphasizing the importance of AI in driving innovation and growth in the telecommunications sector.