SKT, Kakao, and KT Selected for Nationwide Free AI Project "Modoo's AI"

The Ministry of Science and ICT announced today (the 28th) that it has finalized SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT as the three consortia to carry out "Modoo's AI," an artificial intelligence service building project aimed at the entire public.

A total of six consortia participated in this public competition, and the three operators were selected following a written evaluation checking technical suitability, followed by presentation evaluations verifying service convenience, user acquisition strategies, and ecosystem contribution.

The selected operators will present general-purpose AI chatbot services that surpass foreign AI, public AI agents that handle complex public administration procedures on behalf of users, and differentiated specialized services based on collaboration with startups.

Looking at the development plans by consortium, the SK Telecom consortium will develop an execution-oriented AI that handles everything from planning to execution with a single prompt.

The SK Telecom consortium plans to make its service accessible not only via apps and web browsers but also through phone calls and text messages to enhance accessibility for the digitally vulnerable, while implementing a feature that connects users to stores or government offices lacking official APIs through automated phone calls.

The Kakao consortium will use the nation's top messenger as an entry point to combine general-purpose chatbots and AI agents.

Together with LG Uplus, it plans to release a lightweight version of its phone AI service within the year and rapidly distribute and secure specialized services from promising AI companies through integration with an agent marketplace.

The KT consortium will introduce an integrated AI that connects diverse partner channels such as the Daum portal, Danawa, Musinsa, and Zigbang with its own telecommunications and media infrastructure, supporting information searches and public services within a single conversational flow.

The government will support the three selected operators with 512 Nvidia B200 graphics processing units (GPUs) this year.

In addition, starting in 2027, the government plans to cover the costs required to provide the service to the entire public through the government budget.

The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to sign agreements with these operators next month, form a working-level consultative body, and officially launch the Modoo's AI service within the year after a beta testing phase.

(Photo: Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.