KT CEO Kim Young-shub plans to accelerate AI partnership with Microsoft
Kim Young-shub, chief executive officer (CEO) of KT, a major Korean mobile carrier, expressed his commitment to strengthening the company's artificial intelligence (AI) partnership with Microsoft during a press conference at the ongoing Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2025 in Barcelona, Spain.
Last year, KT and Microsoft inked a five-year partnership deal, pledging a total investment of 2.4 trillion won ($1.65 billion) to jointly advance AI technologies. This collaboration includes the development of new AI models tailored to Korean language and culture, as well as launching new cloud services to meet the demands of Korean corporate clients.
Accelerating AI Efforts
"I will accelerate efforts to achieve concrete outcomes with Microsoft this year," stated CEO Kim. The objective is to boost AI-driven revenue to 12 percent of the company's total sales by the end of the year.
As part of this initiative:
- An AI transformation (AX) strategic fund, established to expand the AX ecosystem in Korea, will kick off operations in the first quarter.
- By the third quarter, a joint innovation center for AI and cloud research will be inaugurated.
- In the second quarter, KT is set to introduce a Korean-style AI model based on Open AI's GPT 4o. This unique model, developed in collaboration with Microsoft, is geared towards enhancing Korean language understanding, knowledge, and culture, delivering tailored solutions for Korean users and enterprises.
CEO Kim outlined his vision of evolving the company into an "AICT" enterprise, which signifies a fusion of AI, telecommunications, and information and communications technology (ICT).
"KT's key slogan will be the complete transformation into an AICT company from this year," Kim emphasized. "We will drive innovation across all areas."
By ramping up the AI partnership with Microsoft, KT aims to revolutionize its operations and offerings, cementing its position as a leader in the digital landscape.
Sources: Bayern Munich beat Tottenham Hotspur in Seoul, Tottenham 4-3 K-League All-Stars, World Water Day 2024, Busan World Team Table Tennis Championships Finals, Super Bowl 2024
