[Alpha Biz= Reporter Kim Jisun] KT is set to collaborate with Microsoft (MS) to invest 2.4 trillion KRW ($1.8 billion) in AI over the next five years, with both companies contributing roughly half of the total investment. The goal is to develop a "Korean-style AI" and cloud solutions, aiming to generate 4.6 trillion KRW ($3.4 billion) in revenue from AI, IT solutions, and consulting services during this period. KT revealed this ambitious plan during a press conference on the 10th, outlining their partnership with MS, which began in December last year.

KT CEO Kim Young-seop, who took office in August last year, has continuously emphasized the importance of AI as the company faces slowing telecom revenue growth and declining corporate value. Rather than developing AI independently, KT has chosen to collaborate with big tech companies, recognizing the challenges of competing against giants like MS, Google, Amazon, and Meta, who are collectively investing hundreds of billions of dollars in AI. MS, for example, plans to invest $100 billion in AI supercomputers by 2028, while Google is aiming to exceed that amount.

Kim stated, “The competition for AI investment scale is over, and we cannot surpass big tech giants pouring in hundreds of trillions. The new competitive advantage lies in how quickly we can deliver services that meet customer demands, not just cost efficiency.”

 

 

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