KT Establishes Strategic Partnership 2.0 with Viettel Group to Build Vietnam's AI·AX Ecosystem

[Financial News] KT announced on the 12th that it has signed a Strategic Partnership 2.0 with Vietnam's state-owned ICT company Viettel Group to establish Vietnam's national AI strategy and promote AI transformation (AX) in the industry. KT-Viettel Group, Strategic Partnership 2.0 Signed
This agreement is a follow-up to the first partnership concluded last May and was signed ahead of the 'Korea-Vietnam Business Forum' attended by over 500 business people from both countries. With this, KT explained that it has entered the next phase of cooperation to concretize the practical promotion of joint projects and participation in Vietnam's national AI strategy. 
The two companies specifically plan to execute cooperation based on four pillars: △Establishing a national AI strategy and developing industry-specific AX platforms △Expanding AX business cooperation in Southeast Asia based on global partnerships △Creating a safe digital·AX environment and cybersecurity based on AI △Strengthening AX capabilities and investing in AI talent development.
First, they will jointly develop a 'national general-purpose AI language model' that has learned Vietnam's unique language, culture, and administrative environment. They will also build a 'vertical AX platform' optimized for key industries in Vietnam such as healthcare, defense, and media to present site-specific AI solutions.
A blueprint for expanding the Southeast Asian AX ecosystem was also unveiled. Viettel Group will join KT's extensive global partnerships and technology ecosystem to promote technology cooperation and information sharing with global big tech.
In the field of strengthening AX capabilities and AI talent development, a 'Global AX Innovation Center (G-AXC)' will be established to foster research and development of the national general-purpose AI language model and demonstration specialists. Additionally, practical AX professional education programs will be developed and operated to enable Vietnamese citizens to utilize AI in their daily lives, along with a certification system that objectively evaluates related capabilities.
In a situation where threats using AI are increasing, the two companies will also join forces to create a safe AX ecosystem. They will jointly research AI solutions that analyze and block phishing crimes such as voice phishing and deepfake in real-time. They plan to share major phishing cases and technical know-how from both countries and build a database based on this to enhance the safety of the AX ecosystem.
Kim Young-seop, KT CEO, said, "The establishment of a national AI strategy and the development of industry-specific AX platforms is a meaningful collaboration that contributes to securing Vietnam's future growth engines beyond mere technology provision."

psh@fnnews.com Park Sung-hyun Reporter