Yoo Young-sang, CEO of SK Telecom, described the coming year as an unprecedented crisis but expressed confidence in overcoming it through achievements in the artificial intelligence (AI) business. In his New Year’s address on the 2nd, Yoo stated, “Throughout 2024, we have secured the stability of our telecommunications business by enhancing our fundamental competitiveness and laid the foundation for a global AI company by strengthening the execution of our AI pyramid strategy, based on both telecommunications and AI.”
Looking ahead, he predicted, “2025 is expected to present an unprecedented crisis. The economic outlook is grim due to global economic instability and geopolitical issues, coupled with various challenges such as a domestic economic slowdown.”
Yoo highlighted potential opportunities, noting that “there will be market growth driven by AI-based digital innovations and new prospects through the integration of AI and telecommunications, although the competition for AI technology dominance and investment is expected to accelerate.”
He emphasized the need to enhance competitiveness by eliminating unnecessary elements and leveraging AI and digital transformation (AT/DT) technologies, while also transforming the paradigm of the existing telecommunications business through AI.
Yoo also stressed the importance of achieving visible results in AI. He mentioned the establishment of synergy between SKT, SK Broadband, and SK C&C for B2B AI business last year, the potential for B2C AI services demonstrated through platforms like A. and Aster, a global AI agent, and the need to translate AI into tangible revenue growth this year.
He urged employees to deliver meaningful outcomes across all areas, including AI infrastructure such as AI data centers (DC), GPU as a service (GPUaaS), and edge AI projects, as well as AI transformation (AIX) solutions and personal AI agents (PAA). Yoo also highlighted the goal of establishing a flexible corporate culture, fostering strong teamwork through free and open horizontal communication, and uniting business, infrastructure, and staff teams.
Reflecting on a philosophy of adaptability, Yoo encouraged his team to embrace change, quoting the saying, “When pressed, change occurs; when change occurs, it leads to solutions; when solutions are found, they endure.” He urged everyone to prepare for uncertainties, consolidate strength, and boldly pursue their vision of becoming a “global AI company.”