"AI for All" to Be Built by SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT... Nationwide Service Launches Next Year (Combined)

[Financial News] The SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT consortiums have been selected as operators for the government-led nationwide AI service project, "AI for All." The three consortiums plan to develop AI services that leverage their respective platform and service strengths and launch them within the year.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said on the 28th that it selected the SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT consortiums as project operators after conducting written and presentation evaluations of six bidders that applied for the "AI for All" project.
The written review assessed technical suitability, including the competitiveness of AI models and services, as well as plans for using graphics processing units (GPUs) and operating infrastructure.
In the presentation review, which included prototype video demonstrations, the ministry comprehensively evaluated service convenience, user acquisition strategies, quality and safety measures, and plans to contribute to the AI ecosystem.

The government will provide the three selected consortiums with a total of 512 of NVIDIA's latest AI accelerators, the DGX B200. Starting next year, it also plans to fund the costs needed to offer the service to the entire public through the government budget.
The SK Telecom consortium will develop an action-oriented AI service that handles everything from planning to execution and result checking based on user requests. It will be accessible not only through apps and websites, but also by phone and text message, improving access for older adults and digitally vulnerable groups who are less familiar with smartphone apps.
It will also offer conversation and search functions tailored to domestic administrative services and local living environments. Even stores and public offices without official application programming interfaces (APIs) will be able to use the system, which will search for contact information and connect users to a call-assistance service. The consortium also plans to roll out specialized services in areas such as health and finance, while expanding the range of AI agents through partnerships with participating companies and startups.

The Kakao consortium will provide a general-purpose chatbot and AI agents integrated into a messenger service that people use in daily life. Together with LG Uplus, it plans to launch a light version of a general-purpose phone-based AI service within the year and then gradually expand its features.
It will also use PlayMCP and an AI agent marketplace. The idea is to help AI companies directly develop, test, and distribute specialized agents, quickly increasing the range of services and linking that growth to the domestic AI ecosystem. It will also offer life-stage-specific services, including senior care and tax support.
The KT consortium will develop an AI service that supports information search, comparison, and decision-making within a single conversation, as well as the execution and management of public and specialized services. It plans to place AI entry points across Daum's search, news, and content channels, as well as partner channels such as Danawa, MUSINSA, and Zigbang, connecting existing search demand to AI chatbots.
KT's telecom and media channels will also be linked to AI for All. The company aims to let users start AI services through the channels they encounter in everyday life, while also supporting specialized functions in areas such as education and real estate.
The ministry plans to sign agreements with the three consortiums in September, then go through beta service testing before officially launching AI for All within the year. It will also form a working-level consultative body with the operators and hold discussions with relevant ministries to connect public data.

[email protected] Choi Hye-rim Reporter