SK Telecom, one of the biggest carriers in South Korea, has launched a beta version of its own artificial intelligence chatbot, called “A. (pronounced “A dot”)”, in May last year. It is based on generative AI, the same technology behind OpenAI’s ChatGPT.
Eric Davis, vice president at SKT and leader of the A. project, recently shared with CNBC that the project will be launching a full version of A. this year, which is very different from ChatGPT. According to Davis, A. is similar to talking with a friend, helping people with everyday issues they face. The AI is based on large language models, which means it can chat naturally in language.
The difference between A. and ChatGPT is that SKT has integrated several third-party services including music streaming, e-commerce, and payment apps into the chatbot. This concept, called “super app”, was originally created by Chinese tech giants, like Tencent with its WeChat application. This means A. users can download the app once, and then access all their needs from one source.
SKT is also in early discussions of launching A. internationally, with talks in Europe, Southeast Asia, and other parts of the world. Eric Davis is also a former worker in Apple’s voice assistant as Siri, and he has mentioned before that they are constantly learning from their users to make the A. experience better.
The company SK Telecom (SKT) is a South Korean telecom giant, and one of the key players in the telecommunications industry of South Korea. Founded in 1984, the company has grown to be one of the largest telecommunications companies in the country, providing its services to over 50 million customers. Along with providing services like voice and data services, it also offers its own mobile content and media services, including the popular streaming platforms oksusu and tvN.
Eric Davis is the Vice President at SK Telecom and the leader of the A. project. He has worked with Apple’s voice assistant Siri in the past and has been dealing with the project from its beginning. With his experience, he has been instructing to combine various services related to the chatbot into a single source, such as music streaming, e-commerce, and payment apps. He is also directly in touch with other operators in various countries across the world for its international launch.
