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SK Telecom unveils AI personal agent Aster for global users

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Image of Aster (Courtesy of SK Telecom)

SK Telecom Co. on Tuesday unveiled an AI-driven personal assistant Aster (A*) that understands users’ intentions and offers suggestions beyond answering simple queries or data searching.

With the AI agent designed for global users, SK Telecom is aiming to establish its AI ecosystem in North America, where it will launch its closed beta for tests before its official debut in 2025.

Aster can set goals, make plans and complete tasks based on users’ intentions. It will be able to deliver personalized information and plan and execute tasks on their behalf, SK said in a statement released at SK AI Summit 2024.

In the beta version, Aster can assist users, for example, with the preparation of a party in response to the request such as “Help me prepare dinner for a party this weekend.” 

The AI agent prompts relevant questions to clarify needs such as “Would you prefer chicken satay salad or turkey and vegetable stir-fry?”

It subsequently suggests recipes and lists ingredients to organize a cooking schedule. It can even connect users with services to purchase listed items.

Chung Suk-geun, head of SK Telecom’s global and AI tech business, gives a presentation about Aster during SK AI Summit on Nov. 5, 2024 (Courtesy of SK Telecom)

“With Aster, users are interacting with a single app, but they’re actually tapping into an extensive AI ecosystem,” said Chung Suk-geun, head of SK Telecom’s global and AI tech business, in a presentation on the second day of the SK AI Summit held on Nov. 4 and 5.

To enhance its capabilities, SK Telecom will collaborate with global search providers, large language model developers and third-party applications. Its functions will be tailored mainly to North American users.

Meanwhile, it is preparing to launch AI agents for corporate users.

In February, SK Telecom CEO Ryu Young-Sang said personal AI assistants would be a game changer in the AI industry and create opportunities for telecom service providers.

By Seung-Woo Lee

leeswoo@hankyung.com 

Yeonhee Kim edited this article.

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