SK Telecom (SKT) is launching a full-scale cooperation system with eight domestic physical AI and robotics startups. This approach connects SK Group's capabilities with startups, aiming to build a full-stack ecosystem ranging from AI semiconductors to Robot Foundation Models (RFM).

SKT held a 'Physical AI & Robotics Startup Roundtable' at the SK Seorin Building in Jongno-gu on the 30th.

Key executives from member companies, including SKT, the SK Group AI Committee, SK Hynix, and SK AX, attended the event and reviewed industry trends and business cooperation plans with the CEOs of eight startups.

The participating startups are Gauss Labs, RLWRLD, MakinaRocks, CMES Robotics, WI Robotics, Yuil Robotics, Config Intelligence, and Holiday Robotics.

The meeting began with an introduction to SKT's direction for the physical AI business, followed by technology presentations and collaboration proposals from each startup, and a roundtable discussion.

The participating startups possess technological capabilities encompassing the entire spectrum of physical AI, including humanoid robots, wearable robots, industrial collaborative robots, and RFM.

RFM is an AI model that supports robots in recognizing, planning, and performing various tasks.

The discussion focused on joint demonstration plans in manufacturing, logistics, and service fields.

A cooperation structure was also considered to combine SK Group’s capabilities in AI semiconductors, AI data centers, digital twins, and AI models with the physical AI technology of startups.

SKT virtualizes industrial sites We discussed with participating companies ways to build robot training data for RFM development in a recreated digital twin environment.

Given that securing data and establishing a demonstration environment are considered key tasks in the field of physical AI, SKT expects that this discussion will serve as a catalyst to accelerate the field application and commercialization of technologies currently in the research phase.

The participating companies announced plans to expand the scope of cooperation to encompass physical AI as a whole, including robot hardware, data, and models, in the future to create an open ecosystem.

Yoo Kyung-sang, Head of SKT AI CIC, said, “In the physical AI industry, substantial innovation is possible only when the full-stack AI ecosystem, ranging from semiconductors to robot foundation models and application services, is organically connected,” adding, “We will lead the development of the robotics ecosystem by continuously expanding partnerships with domestic physical AI startups.”