[Edaily Reporter Kim Hyun-ah ] SKTelecom(017670)has been selected as a provider for the government’s “AI for All” initiative and will launch an AI assistant service for the entire population.

The goal is to go beyond a simple chatbot that answers questions to implement an “action-oriented AI” that finds necessary public information and handles real-life tasks—such as issuing certificates or making hospital appointments—on users’ behalf.

SKTelecom announced on the 28th that it has been selected as the implementing partner for the “Support for Universal Adoption of AI Services for All Citizens (AI for All)” project, led by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency.

“AI for All” is a government initiative designed to enable every citizen to utilize AI without financial burden or usage restrictions.

The SKTelecom consortium, which ranked first in the second evaluation, plans to launch a beta service this October and begin full-scale service by the end of the year, utilizing its proprietary AI foundation model “A.X K2” alongside various domestic AI models.

From public information to certificate issuance and hospital appointments

The AI assistant to be introduced by SKTelecom will proactively inform users of relevant benefits and information without requiring them to search for it themselves, and will then guide them through the necessary steps.

In the public sector, the company plans to integrate with Government 24 and PASS to enable users to obtain 83 types of certificates, including certified copies of resident registration records.

In the health management sector, the service will consolidate health screening results, medical treatment histories, and prescription records in one place and explain them in language that is easy for the AI to understand.

The company is also preparing features that will notify users of items requiring further testing or, upon entering symptoms, direct them to nearby hospitals and even connect them to appointment scheduling services.

In the daily life sector, the system will be enhanced to allow AI to handle tedious tasks on the user’s behalf, such as making phone calls or reservations.

However, since the AI will be performing actual actions, the company plans to ensure reliability by requiring users to provide final confirmation and approval, and by using personal information only to the extent necessary.

From an AI That Answers Questions to an AI That Takes Action

SKTelecom plans to differentiate “AI for Everyone” from existing Q&A-style chatbots.

For example, if a job seeker asks about job openings, the AI will provide information on new postings along with relevant youth employment policies. If the user registers a job listing of interest, the AI will notify them of application deadlines and assist with writing cover letters and preparing for interviews.

For small business owners, it will serve as a “business operations consultant.”

It will organize sales, expenses, and tax information, identify eligible government support programs, and provide guidance on eligibility requirements and application deadlines.

SKTelecom’s vision for an “action-oriented AI assistant” goes beyond simply answering users’ questions; it involves understanding the context of the conversation to proactively suggest relevant information and guide users toward the next steps.

Accessible via Phone and Text Without an App

Another key feature is that the AI can be accessed not only through a smartphone app but also

via

phone calls

and text messages

.

SKTelecom is developing the service by leveraging its telecommunications network and voice recognition and synthesis technologies so that older adults and digitally underserved groups—who may not be familiar with smartphone apps—can ask for and receive necessary information via phone calls or text messages.

The aim is to prevent disparities in AI literacy from leading to new social divides.

Kim Ji-hoon, Head of SKTelecom’s AI Business Division, stated, “It is important to create an environment where anyone can use AI easily and safely so that disparities in AI usage do not lead to new social divides.” He added, “By combining our experience operating public AI services since 2022 with the consortium’s capabilities, we will responsibly introduce AI services that the public can truly feel benefit from.”

31 Companies and Organizations Participate… Expanding Across All Aspects of Daily Life

For this project, SKTelecom has formed a consortium of 20 companies and organizations in fields such as AI search, finance and payments, mobility, media, healthcare, education, and caregiving.

In addition, it has signed business agreements with 11 companies, including Gyeokgi Sanchak, DAEKYO Newif, LiroSoft, Bucketplace, Blueworks, Binu Labs, Altos Ventures, Weavers Brain, T-Money Mobility, Hana Bank, and NH Nonghyup Bank.

To date, a total of 31 companies and institutions have joined the initiative. SKTelecom plans to build an AI ecosystem that citizens can actually use in their daily lives by connecting services across various sectors—including finance, healthcare, transportation, education, and care—through AI.