SK Telecom (CEO Yoo Young-sang) and Seoul National University Hospital's Developmental Disability Center have joined hands to utilize AI-based image analysis technology for the early diagnosis and treatment of people with developmental disabilities.

SK Telecom announced on the 22nd that it signed a business agreement (MOU) with Seoul National University Hospital for the 'AI-based early diagnosis and challenging behavior treatment project for people with developmental disabilities' at SK-T Tower in Euljiro, Seoul.

Through this business agreement, SKT and Seoul National University Hospital have agreed to broadly cooperate, including improving the diagnosis and treatment process for developmental disorders based on ICT solutions, securing AI learning data for early diagnosis and treatment in the future, and developing digital therapeutics.

As a first step, the two parties plan to establish related solutions, including an application for guardians (App.) for the diagnosis and treatment of developmental disabilities, in the first half of next year, and to apply these solutions to 10 developmental disability hospitals and behavioral development promotion centers nationwide.

By developing and using a dedicated app, it is expected that not only will guardians be able to conveniently send video files, but medical staff will also be able to systematically manage and analyze video data, which will be helpful in early diagnosis of developmental disorders.

In the second step, both parties will secure video data of challenging behaviors of people with developmental disabilities and develop a model for recognizing and preventing challenging behaviors through AI learning.The plan is to further develop (the algorithm).

SKT's self-developed 'AI-based video analysis model' applies technology that analyzes specific movements and motion patterns of people with developmental disabilities in video data to accurately recognize the type of challenging behavior, as well as the frequency and intensity of occurrence.

Lastly, SKT and Seoul National University Hospital agreed to develop a digital treatment for early diagnosis and treatment of developmental disorders by utilizing various ICT technologies such as Vision AI, voice analysis AI, and metaverse (VR/AR).

Professor Kim Boong-nyeon, head of the central support team at the Seoul National University Hospital Developmental Disability Center, said, “There is a phenomenon in which early diagnosis of developmental disorders is delayed, preventing early intervention and treatment,” and “If we develop an indicator to predict problem behaviors using AI, we expect it to provide an innovative approach to early intervention and prevention of problem behaviors.”

SKT ESG Manager Park Yong-joo said, “AI image analysis technology is expected to provide sufficient data to medical staff and reduce the burden of care for guardians,” and added, “SKT plans to fulfill its corporate social responsibility by contributing to early diagnosis and treatment through continuous AI research and strengthening the universal social safety net.”