KT Accelerates 'AX Accelerator' with Korean AI Services

[Korea Financial Times, Kim JaeHun] KT Corporation, in collaboration with its AI business partner Microsoft, is introducing AI agents and cloud services tailored to Korean industries, advancing the establishment of a Korean AI ecosystem. With this initiative, KT aims to support the AX (AI Transformation) of domestic industries as an AX Accelerator.

On March 27, KT (CEO Kim Young-seop) announced during an online media briefing the launch of the "Autonomous Agent," a custom model based on Microsoft's GPT-4o, and the "KT Secure Public Cloud (KT SPC)," a hyperscale public cloud. The company also outlined their usage strategies.

KT is developing a custom GPT-4o-based model in collaboration with Microsoft, leveraging extensive high-quality data rooted in Korea's history, philosophy, and society. The goal is to commercialize this model within the first half of 2025.
KT AI lead Kim Hoon-dong, Executive Director, stated, "AI agents for industries can be broadly categorized into internal (B2E) and external (B2C) based on their use. Internally, KT has implemented multiple AI agents to revolutionize employee workflows and is preparing various AI agents for different industrial sectors."

At the Microsoft-hosted 'AI Tour IN Seoul' that opened on March 26, KT showcased a case study of an AI agent utilizing Korean-specific AI for loan screening in the financial sector. The company presented insights on practical innovation through this demonstration.

Kim Hoon-dong, Executive Director, explained, "AI agents are used in combination for loan screening processes in the financial sector, and their roles can be categorized according to the stages of loan screening as follows:

First is the agent responsible for receiving loan applications. It accepts customer loan applications, collects credit evaluation information, and reviews loan conditions reflecting individual circumstances. The second is the credit evaluation and screening agent. It evaluates the customer's credit score and performs in-depth assessments in line with financial industry processes.

If specific criteria for loan eligibility are met, it moves on to the third agent, which is the in-depth report writing agent. This is used as a review report in the final approval process, utilizing technology similar to OpenAI's Deep Research. The final stage involves both AI and human representatives who conduct the final review and approval of the credit evaluation result report and communicate the outcome to the customer."
To design effective composite AI agents, diverse technical methodologies must be considered. For instance, the first agent employs "Advanced RAG" to comprehensively assess customer situations and loan terms. This advanced functionality is enabled by Microsoft's "AI Foundry" framework.


Kim Hoon-dong emphasized that expanding the use of AI agents across all industries is inevitable. Companies must collaborate with partners to optimize industry-specific AI models efficiently and effectively.

Next, KT Cloud Lead Kang Sung-kwon, Executive Director, continued with an introduction to KT SPC. KT SPC is a Korean sovereign cloud jointly launched by KT in strategic collaboration with Microsoft.

KT Secure Public Cloud (KT SPC) is a hyperscale cloud computing service capable of large-scale expansion. Its key strength lies in providing a user environment, experience, and efficiency that surpass existing public cloud standards, while ensuring high security and data sovereignty. This is achieved by adhering to domestic laws, regulations, and corporate compliance standards, making it safe for use in financial and public sectors.

Kang Sang-Kwon, Executive Director, stated, "In the AX era, hyperscale public cloud is essential for leveraging large-scale computing resources. However, if critical data is leaked, it can pose a severe threat not only to companies but also to national competitiveness. As a result, data protection regulations are being strengthened worldwide."

He continued, "A sovereign cloud is a public cloud that allows data to be utilized while maintaining data sovereignty." He further explained, "KT SPC ensures high security while complying with domestic laws, regulations, and corporate compliance standards."

KT plans to accelerate the AX transition beyond finance into areas such as AI education and business operations through its collaboration with Microsoft. To achieve this, KT will establish an elite in-house AX business unit, tentatively named the AX Delivery Specialist Center, and work closely with Microsoft experts to drive AX innovation across South Korea’s industries.

On the 25th, ahead of the AI Tour IN Seoul, Kim Young-seop, CEO of KT, and Satya Nadella, CEO of Microsoft, met to reaffirm their strong partnership. During his keynote speech at the AI Tour on the 26th, Satya Nadella announced a nationwide "AI Skilling Initiative" in collaboration with KT. He also highlighted KT’s partnership, citing internal innovation, solution development, and go-to-market (GTM) strategies as key achievements.

Kim stated, "The development of AX solutions based on strategic partnerships with Microsoft is becoming tangible through projects like Korean AI and KT SPC. We will continue deepening our cooperation to expand Korea's AX ecosystem as a reliable partner for companies requiring AX."

Kim JaeHun (rlqm93@fntimes.com)