SK Telecom is undertaking a radical transformation, reorganizing its IT infrastructure around artificial intelligence (AI). The announcement was made at MWC 2026, where CEO Jung Jai-hun presented the company's "AI Native" strategy.

Reorganizing Telecom Systems

The plan involves redesigning sales, line management, and billing systems to optimize them for AI. The goal is to enable the operator to develop and offer personalized plans and memberships based on each customer's usage and behavior. SK Telecom also plans to apply a Zero Trust security framework across its systems, including stronger authentication, access controls, network segmentation, and AI-based monitoring.

Unified AI Agent

Another key aspect is the development of an integrated AI agent to improve customer interaction across various channels, such as the T world portal and the T Direct Shop online store. This agent will analyze daily usage patterns and provide personalized suggestions. The company also plans to expand its AI Contact Center to provide operators with AI tools during support calls.

Large-Scale AI Data Centers

SK Telecom plans to build hyperscale AI data centers across Korea, with a capacity exceeding 1 gigawatt. The company aims to attract global investment and position the country as a major AI data center hub in Asia. In collaboration with OpenAI, SK Telecom plans to build an AI data center in the southwestern region of Korea.

Advanced Language Models

The company plans to improve its sovereign AI foundation model, bringing it to over one trillion parameters and adding multimodal capabilities for processing image, voice, and video data starting in the second half of the year. SK Telecom is collaborating with SK hynix on a manufacturing-focused AI package that analyzes process data in real time to reduce defect rates and improve equipment efficiency.

Changing Internal Culture

The transformation also extends to internal operations. SK Telecom has created an "AX Dashboard" to track AI use across departments and individuals, and an "AI Board" to oversee AI transformation efforts. It has also created an "AI playground" where employees can develop AI agents without developing. According to company figures, more than 2,000 AI agents are already in use in marketing, legal, and public relations.