SK Telecom Unveils A.X K1: South Korea’s First 500 Billion Parameter AI Model, Aiming for Global Top-Tier Status
SEOUL, South Korea – SK Telecom (NYSE: SKM) has launched A.X K1, a monumental leap for South Korea’s artificial intelligence capabilities. This 519 billion parameter hyperscale AI model is set to become the cornerstone of the nation’s ambitious plan to ascend into the top three global AI powers, challenging the current dominance of the U.S. and China. The development signifies the creation of a comprehensive, full-stack AI ecosystem, from foundational hardware to consumer-facing applications.
**A 500 Billion Parameter Powerhouse: South Korea’s AI “Teacher Model”**
A.X K1 represents a significant advancement, positioning South Korea to enhance its global AI competitiveness. Unlike models designed solely for knowledge consumption, A.X K1 is engineered as a “Teacher Model.” This means it can effectively transfer its vast knowledge base to smaller, more specialized AI models, particularly those below the 70 billion parameter scale. This capability is crucial for democratizing advanced AI, enabling a wider array of applications and fostering innovation across various sectors.
Globally, AI models operating at the 500 billion parameter scale have demonstrated enhanced proficiency in complex mathematical reasoning and multilingual comprehension. These advanced capabilities are essential for sophisticated tasks such as intricate code generation and the development of autonomous AI agents. By establishing A.X K1 as a foundational digital social overhead capital (SOC) for its AI ecosystem, SK Telecom aims to build a robust national AI infrastructure.
**AI as a Public Good: Expanding Access with “AI for Everyone”**
SK Telecom is championing the concept of AI as a public good, driving forward the government’s “AI for Everyone” initiative. The company plans to broaden access to A.X K1 through its existing A. (A-DoT) service, which already boasts over 10 million subscribers. This strategy aims to make AI readily available to the public through familiar channels like phone calls, text messages, web interfaces, and applications, fostering widespread adoption and understanding.
The SKT consortium includes Liner, a company with extensive experience in expert knowledge search services for over 11 million global users. The integration of A.X K1 is expected to significantly enhance Liner’s ability to deliver highly accurate and reliable multilingual search results.
Beyond consumer applications, A.X K1 is poised to drive industrial competitiveness through AIX initiatives. This includes tailored solutions like A. Biz for manufacturing, real-time character dialogue and autonomous behavior in gaming environments developed by Krafton, and advancements in humanoid AI robots.
Furthermore, A.X K1 will serve as a critical testbed for validating the performance and efficiency of South Korea’s semiconductor industry. The ability to operate and evaluate AI models at non-standard workloads exceeding 500 billion parameters is indispensable for assessing key performance bottlenecks in high-performance AI semiconductors, such as memory bandwidth and inter-GPU communication speeds.
**Building a Full-Stack AI Ecosystem for National Ambition**
The SKT consortium’s strategic vision, centered around the development of A.X K1, directly supports South Korea’s national objective of becoming a global AI powerhouse. Success in the international AI landscape hinges not only on the performance of individual models but also on a nation’s capacity to scale and deploy AI infrastructure at a national level.
The SKT consortium, a collaborative effort involving eight key organizations including SK Telecom, Krafton, 42dot, Rebellions, Liner, SelectStar, Seoul National University, and KAIST, has developed a sovereign AI platform built entirely on proprietary technologies. This comprehensive approach covers the entire AI value chain, encompassing AI semiconductors, AI data centers (AIDCs), AI models, and AI services.
Each consortium member contributes specialized expertise cultivated through years of research and development. Liner has refined accuracy through advanced expert knowledge retrieval, SelectStar has ensured data integrity through large-scale construction and validation, Krafton brings scalability from its global multimodal R&D experience, 42dot enhances versatility with its on-device AI technology, and Rebellions boosts efficiency with domestically developed NPU technology.
The initiative has already garnered significant interest, with over 20 major institutions, including SK hynix, SK Innovation, SK Broadband, the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, and the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, submitting letters of intent to collaborate on the utilization and validation of A.X K1 in real-world applications.
In a move to further stimulate the national AI ecosystem, the consortium plans to release A.X K1 as open-source to companies across South Korea. Through major developer communities and SK Telecom’s established platforms, open-source access and APIs will be provided to foster an environment conducive to seamless AI agent development. Additionally, an integrated support framework for AI model development will be established, and portions of the training data will be made publicly available to bolster the nation’s overall AI competitiveness.
“This development marks a significant inflection point for South Korea’s journey toward becoming a global AI leader amidst intensifying international competition,” stated Kim Tae-yoon, Head of Foundation Model Office at SK Telecom. “As Korea’s foremost AI company, we remain steadfast in our commitment to advancing ‘AI for Everyone’.”
**About SK Telecom**
Since its inception in 1984, SK Telecom has been at the forefront of mobile industry innovation. The company is currently transforming into a global AI company, prioritizing AI at the core of its business strategy to elevate customer experiences beyond connectivity. SK Telecom is actively pursuing advancements in AI Infrastructure, AI Transformation (AIX), and AI Services, aiming to deliver substantial value to industries, society, and individual lives.
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