In a bold move to strengthen its AI capabilities, SK Telecom partners with Together AI, a California-based artificial intelligence company known for its cloud-based AI services and open-source tools. This strategic alliance is set to accelerate SK Telecom’s AI ambitions while expanding its influence in the competitive North American market.
Together AI, founded in 2022, has rapidly emerged as a leader in AI model training, inference, and efficient GPU-based infrastructure. The company, which collaborates with NVIDIA, serves over 500,000 customers globally, including Zoom, The Washington Post, and Salesforce.
With this partnership, SK Telecom plans to integrate its advanced AI computing infrastructure, proprietary large language models (LLMs), and personal AI assistant Aster (A) with Together AI’s cutting-edge technology. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in AI-powered telecom innovation and positions SK Telecom as a major player in the global AI infrastructure landscape.
Strategic Investment and Technological Synergy
The partnership follows Together AI’s Series B funding round, where it secured $305 million, further solidifying its reputation in the AI infrastructure sector. This investment underscores the growing demand for scalable, cost-effective AI solutions and reflects SK Telecom’s commitment to leading AI-powered telecommunications.
Together AI will contribute two groundbreaking proprietary technologies to SK Telecom’s AI expansion:
- Together Kernel Collection – A technology designed to optimize GPU computation, enhancing the speed and efficiency of large-scale AI model training and deployment.
- QTIP (Quantized Transformer Inference Pipeline) – A compression and quantization framework that significantly reduces AI model sizes without sacrificing performance, enabling cost-effective AI deployment on GPUs.
By leveraging these technologies, SK Telecom expects to lower operational costs and reduce its reliance on expensive AI computing hardware, a critical challenge in global AI expansion.
Key Focus Areas: AI Personalization and Global Expansion
At the heart of this collaboration is SK Telecom’s next-generation AI agent, Aster (A). The company envisions Aster (A) as a global AI-powered assistant, designed for advanced language comprehension, personalization, and real-time adaptation to user needs.
Additionally, SK Telecom will integrate Together AI’s infrastructure into its in-house LLM, adot, and its broader AI Data Center (AI DC) initiative. These advancements will play a key role in enhancing AI computing efficiency, enabling real-time applications, and expanding SK Telecom’s AI services globally.
“AI is not just about optimizing existing processes—it’s about reshaping industries,” said Vipul Ved Prakash, Co-founder and CEO of Together AI. “Our partnership with SK Telecom will create a powerful synergy, accelerating AI-driven innovations in telecom and beyond.”
The Growing AI Infrastructure Battle
The partnership between SK Telecom and Together AI comes at a time when the race for AI dominance is intensifying. Cloud AI providers, including big tech giants and startups like Together AI, are fiercely competing to offer scalable, low-latency AI services with cost-efficient training models.
Together AI’s deep integration with NVIDIA-backed AI hardware positions it strongly in this landscape. For SK Telecom, this collaboration goes beyond telecommunications, signaling a transformation into a global AI powerhouse.
By investing in cutting-edge AI infrastructure, SK Telecom aims to:
- Reduce its reliance on third-party AI compute providers
- Control AI model development and deployment costs
- Expand its AI services into North American markets
This deal marks a shift in strategy, as SK Telecom moves from being a traditional telecom operator to an AI-driven technology leader.
What’s Next?
With the partnership now in motion, SK Telecom and Together AI will focus on:
- Integrating QTIP into SK Telecom’s AI training pipeline to improve model efficiency
- Optimizing inference engines for Aster (A) and adot to enhance real-time AI capabilities
- Exploring expansion opportunities in North America to bring SK Telecom’s AI services to a broader audience
This collaboration between a leading telecom company and an emerging AI infrastructure firm could set the stage for more cross-border AI partnerships in the future. As SK Telecom partners with Together AI, the global AI industry watches closely—this deal might just redefine the future of AI-powered telecommunications.
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