SK Telecom Unveils AI Strategy with Data Center Expansion

BARCELONA, Spain - SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) announced its AI Pyramid 2.0 strategy during MWC25 in Barcelona, focusing on AI data centers, AI agent services, and technology partnerships.

SK Telecom CEO Young-sang Ryu presented the company's plan to accelerate its 'AI Infrastructure Super Highway' initiative through four business models: subscription-based AI cloud GPUaaS (GPU-as-a-Service), small-scale modular AI data centers, dedicated single-client AI data centers, and hyperscale AI data centers.

The company opened its first AI data center in Gasan, Seoul in December and launched SK Telecom GPUaaS. 

The company plans a 100MW-class AI data center in partnership with global technology companies.

The dedicated AI data center business will provide turnkey solutions for organizations requiring on-premise facilities. 

SK Group currently operates eight data centers with a total capacity of 137MW.

Modular AI data centers can be deployed within three months at 70% of traditional construction costs while offering twice the power efficiency, targeting startups and research institutions.

SK Telecom will launch 'A. Business' for B2B customers this year and plan to implement it across 21 SK Group member companies. 

The service includes a standard version for everyday office tasks and 'A. Business Pro' for specialized tax, legal, and HR functions.

The company's B2C AI agent 'A.' has 8.9 million subscribers and 7.4 million monthly active users. 

SK Telecom plans to enhance its AI call summary functionality and add new features.

SK Telecom's large language model 'A.X' has replaced ChatGPT in the company's AI call summary service and processes over 50 million requests daily. 

A.X 4.0, which is scheduled for completion in the first half of 2025, will have 1.5 times higher tokenizer efficiency.

The newly established SK AI R&D Center will serve as the group's 'AI brain,' with an AI data center test bed in Pangyo for developing and verifying advanced technologies.

SK Telecom has invested in global AI companies, including Anthropic, Perplexity, Lambda, and Penguin Solutions, and their valuations have increased 3.1 times since the initial investment.

The company is expanding cooperation with the Global Telco AI Alliance and the K-AI Alliance, which has grown from 7 to 30 member companies since 2023 and operates in 31 cities across 13 countries.