South Korean telecom provider KT Corp. has announced its plan to invest approximately 7 trillion South Korean won ($5.4 billion USD) by 2027 to establish itself as the country’s leading artificial intelligence (AI) service provider. The company will primarily focus on the robotics, healthcare, and education markets.
KT has revealed a comprehensive five-year investment plan to enhance its AI capabilities and strengthen its competitive position.
The allocated funds, totaling around 7 trillion won, will be dedicated to advancing hyper-scale AI technology, expanding cloud infrastructure and internet data centers, and identifying new opportunities in the AI domain.
During a press conference held at the Novotel Ambassador Seoul Hotel, KT Corp. unveiled its plans to broaden the utilization of service robots in various sectors, particularly in delivery services. The company aims to extend the application of robots to encompass quarantine operations, indoor and outdoor deliveries, small-scale factory logistics, and even agricultural delivery robots.
In addition to its robotics initiatives, KT also announced the launch of a remote healthcare service tailored for patients with chronic illnesses. Leveraging analyzed data, including doctors’ counsel records, the service will provide optimized plans devised by nurses and nutritionists, ensuring personalized care for needy individuals.
While speaking of its focus on robots, healthcare and education markets, Song Jae-ho, a senior executive vice president at KT, said, “We are confident that these three domains can effectively address prevalent societal challenges and drive innovation” He further added, “Our vision is to establish ourselves as a leading AI service provider, offering crucial assistance in these sectors when users require support the most.”
In addition to its initiatives in the healthcare sector, KT will introduce a new service called “Genie TV Care,” which aims to cater to the needs of elderly individuals living alone through TV programs and personalized care plans.
Furthermore, the company has announced its collaboration with the education authority of Gyeonggi Province to establish an education platform, allowing for the development and distribution of educational content. This partnership will involve joint production with EBS, a local educational broadcasting service, to offer a broader range of educational materials.
Expanding its presence beyond South Korea, KT has unveiled plans to introduce an AI transport platform in Singapore, leveraging its technological expertise to enhance transportation systems.
Out of the total investment of 7 trillion won, approximately 4 trillion won will be allocated towards acquiring core technologies for advanced AI, while 2 trillion won will be dedicated to enhancing the infrastructure related to AI. The remaining 1 trillion won will be utilized to develop innovative AI service models.
“We anticipate generating revenue of 1.3 trillion won ($1 billion) in 2025 through our AI-related services, which encompass contact centers, logistics, robots, healthcare, and education,” stated Song in his address to the reporters.
