KT Corporation and Microsoft have announced a landmark five-year partnership focused on leveraging artificial intelligence (AI), cloud technologies, and IT business development to drive innovation in South Korea. This collaboration combines financial investment from KT with resource support from Microsoft, aiming to propel AI services and transformative technological advancements across various sectors.
The partnership will concentrate on five pivotal areas, emphasizing the development of customized AI solutions tailored specifically for the Korean market. This includes creating localized versions of Microsoft’s GPT-4 and smaller language models utilizing KT’s extensive data. These bespoke AI models will be deployed in diverse applications such as customer service chatbots and industry-specific solutions, enhancing operational efficiency and customer engagement.
KT’s CEO, Young-Shub Kim, remarked, “The partnership with Microsoft is a significant milestone that not only fosters technological collaboration but also strengthens Korea’s AI infrastructure, driving transformative innovation across multiple industries and improving daily life.”
Microsoft’s CEO, Satya Nadella, echoed this sentiment, stating, “Our strategic alliance merges KT’s industry expertise with the comprehensive capabilities of our tech stack, from Azure AI to Microsoft 365 Copilot. Together, we aim to accelerate the AI transformation of Korean organizations across both the private and public sectors.”
A notable aspect of this partnership is the introduction of sovereign cloud solutions built on Microsoft Cloud for Sovereignty. These solutions are designed to comply with the stringent privacy and regulatory requirements of Korea’s public sector and other regulated industries. Furthermore, KT plans to establish an AI transformation service company to assist Korean businesses in adopting AI technologies, with future expansions planned for ASEAN markets.
This collaboration symbolizes a significant step towards enhancing business capabilities, driving efficiency, and fostering innovation through advanced AI and cloud technologies in South Korea.