A collaboration between SK Telecom and NVIDIA aims to establish a gigawatt-level AI infrastructure in South Korea, laying the groundwork for a comprehensive AI cloud ecosystem across Asia. Announced on the 8th, the partnership will leverage NVIDIA’s DSX platform to enhance the companies' AI Factory, a specialized data center designed for AI operations.
This initiative follows discussions at the recent GTC Taipei event, where SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won and NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang reaffirmed their commitment to building Asia’s largest AI infrastructure. The AI Factory is set to begin operations in 2027 and is envisioned as an "intelligence factory" that will continuously generate AI tokens, essential for various AI applications. Powered by NVIDIA DSX-based infrastructure, the factory will enable optimized performance and scalability.
SK Telecom plans to join NVIDIA’s ‘NVIDIA Cloud Partner’ program to improve its AI cloud services. This partnership is expected to deliver advantages in cost efficiency and performance per watt—critical metrics in the competitive AI infrastructure arena. As global demand for AI capabilities grows, SK Telecom aims to become a leader in providing specialized AI services, including training and inference, by utilizing NVIDIA’s advanced GPU technologies.
The collaboration extends beyond the AI cloud market, as the two companies are also working together in the areas of physical AI and robotics. This multifaceted approach highlights their commitment to tackling challenges related to GPU, memory, and energy requirements, which are vital for effective AI operations.
Jensen Huang noted the shift of telecommunications networks into national AI infrastructures, emphasizing the importance of communication networks in powering AI cloud services. Through this partnership, SK Telecom plans to offer agent AI and enterprise AI solutions to various industries, enhancing its competitive edge in the AI ecosystem.
As SK Telecom embarks on this ambitious project, the potential impact on the broader AI infrastructure market is significant. Successfully establishing a gigawatt-level AI cloud could provide a model for future projects in Asia and beyond. With major tech companies increasingly leasing AI infrastructure, SK Telecom's initiative strategically positions it within a rapidly evolving supply chain that supports global AI development and deployment. The collaboration with NVIDIA not only strengthens SK Telecom's presence in the AI sector but also boosts its capacity to meet the rising demand for AI-driven solutions across industries in South Korea and the wider region.
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