The government’s first presentation event for “independent artificial intelligence (AI) foundation models” is scheduled for the 30th, and SK Telecom announced on the 28th that it has developed Korea’s first large-scale AI model with 500 billion parameters.

The “A.X K1” model developed by the SK Telecom consortium is composed of a total of 519 billion parameters. However, during inference tasks in response to user requests, only about 33 billion parameters are activated. The model is trained at an ultra-large scale but is designed to operate with the lightest possible specifications when needed. Parameters are an indicator used to gauge the complexity of information an AI model can represent through training; the larger the scale, the greater its potential to learn more complex patterns.

Unlike other AI models that primarily use English, “A.X K1” was designed from the outset to be trained in Korean. Thanks to this Korean language specialization, it is said to be suitable for creating customized services for the Korean public that are well-versed in the nation’s culture, economy, and history. The SK Telecom consortium plans to release “A.X K1” as open source to various companies in the domestic AI ecosystem. Part of the training data used for model development will also be disclosed on public and private platforms.

Meanwhile, SK Telecom and the other four consortia selected as “national AI champions” will participate in the first presentation event for “independent AI foundation models” to be held at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, on the 30th. The construction of independent AI foundation models is a project that supports President Lee Jae-myung’s key campaign pledge “AI for All,” aimed at propelling Korea into the ranks of the “top three AI powerhouses.” The five teams selected as national AI champions are Naver Cloud, Upstage, SK Telecom, NC AI, and LG AI Research Institute.

These elite teams will present their development achievements, including AI model demonstrations, and will also operate experience booths for general visitors. The Ministry of Science and ICT will announce the results of the first evaluation by January 15 next year. Evaluations will be conducted every six months, and one team will be eliminated each round until only two teams remain. The two final teams selected will receive extensive support, including free provision of graphics processing units (GPUs), through 2027.

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