The Defense Ministry and SK Telecom (SKT) have joined forces to promote defense artificial intelligence (AI).
On May 14, the Defense Ministry, SKT, and the Ministry of Science and ICT signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) at SKT's headquarters in Euljiro, Seoul, to utilize the ministry's independent AI foundation model in the defense sector. The event was attended by Kim Myung-guk, head of SKT's Industrial AI Division, and Jeon Jun-beom, director of the Defense AI Planning Bureau.
The agreement aims to foster collaboration in several areas, including the development and demonstration of defense-specific AI models based on the independent AI foundation model, the collection and provision of open data in the defense sector, and support for GPU utilization linked to national AI projects.
This MOU is part of the Ministry of Science and ICT's ongoing independent AI foundation model project, which seeks to accelerate digital transformation in the defense sector.
This marks the first time the independent AI foundation model will be applied in defense. Earlier in January, SKT's elite team advanced to the second phase of the independent AI foundation model project with the launch of 'A.X K1,' a super-large AI model exceeding 50 billion parameters.
SKT plans to lead the development of defense-specific AI models leveraging its capabilities in large language model (LLM) development and GPU-as-a-Service (GPUaaS) infrastructure. To efficiently operate large AI models, SKT will apply lightweight technology to A.X K1 and K2 and further train them with defense data to create AI models optimized for defense environments.
The Defense Ministry will provide SKT with GPU resources secured through the Ministry of Science and ICT's 'National AI Project' in the second quarter of this year. SKT will utilize these resources to develop and demonstrate high-performance AI models and strengthen collaborative frameworks based on national research and development (R&D) infrastructure.
Director Jeon stated, "This agreement will enable the rapid development and demonstration of defense-specific AI models based on the independent AI foundation model, marking a significant step forward for defense AI. We will continue to expand collaboration with the private sector."
Choi Dong-won, director of AI Infrastructure Policy at the Ministry of Science and ICT, remarked, "This collaboration will be a crucial opportunity for our independent AI technology to be actively utilized in defense. We aim to create a virtuous cycle that revitalizes the domestic AI ecosystem."
Kim added, "We will continue to expand AI utilization in sectors where data sovereignty and security are critical, such as finance, manufacturing, healthcare, and public services, to enhance K-AI competitiveness."
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to conduct the second phase evaluation of the independent AI foundation model project around early August. This evaluation will focus not only on technical capabilities but also on the scalability and applicability of the technology in real-world industrial settings. The elite teams advancing to the second phase include SKT, LG AI Research Institute, Upstage, and Motif Technologies.
* This article has been translated by AI.
Copyright ⓒ Aju Press All rights reserved.