[News Space=Reporter seungwon lee] SK Telecom's 2024 business report is shocking as it reveals a major reduction in AI (artificial intelligence) personnel and organizations.

SK Telecom, which declared its leap to become a 'global AI company' by revealing that 40% of its 5,286 full-time employees were AI-related personnel just one year ago, is causing a stir in the industry as it revealed in its business report that it has drastically reduced the size of its AI workforce.

◆ AI manpower, 'drastically reduced' at the industry's highest level

SK Telecom has been actively promoting its transformation from a traditional telecommunications company to an AI-centered company, emphasizing that “AI personnel will account for 40% of the total” by 2023. In fact, sales of non-telecommunications new businesses such as AI, cloud, and data are growing, and the company is also aggressively recruiting AI personnel.

However, according to the business report submitted on March 17, 2025, the specific figures and proportion of personnel related to AI business were not clearly disclosed. Although the figure of '40%' was emphasized externally by 2024, not only did the related mention disappear from the 2024 report, but the specific figures for AI personnel (ratio to regular employees, absolute number, etc.) were not specified.

In addition, when looking at the details of changes in subsidiaries, such as the loss of control over AI semiconductor subsidiary Rebellion (formerly Sapion Korea), a significant reduction in core AI personnel and organizations is confirmed.

In addition, the R&D organization and personnel status showed that the size of AI-dedicated personnel decreased compared to the previous year. Specifically, as of 2023, the number of personnel in new business sectors such as AI, data, and cloud was over 2,000, but in 2024, the actual number of AI personnel is understood to have decreased to the early 1,000s due to the consolidation and reduction of related organizations.

◆ Background of AI workforce reduction and duality of business strategy

SK Telecom's AI workforce reduction is not just a simple workforce reduction, but is also linked to a change in the group's AI business strategy. In the 2024 business report, there are clear traces of conservative adjustments to the sales, investment, and organization status of the new AI business compared to the previous year.

In the case of the AI ​​semiconductor business, a large number of key AI personnel left due to the transfer of business in 2022 and the loss of control of Rebellion in 2024. In addition, AI research and development expenses also decreased slightly from KRW 140 billion in 2023 to KRW 130 billion in 2024.

While the AI ​​workforce and organization have been reduced, SK Telecom is still emphasizing its vision of a ‘global AI company’ externally. In press releases and IR materials distributed separately from the business report, it emphasizes AI alliances, securing AI talent, and expanding investment in new AI businesses, but internally, the AI ​​business is actually undergoing restructuring and personnel reallocation.

◆ Conflicting words and actions, controversy over the credibility of the declaration of 'AI Company'

SK Telecom's move is being criticized as 'double-sided' both inside and outside the industry. On the one hand, it declares that it will "shift to a new business centered on AI in response to the slowdown in the telecommunications business," but in reality, it is showing a contradictory strategy of reducing AI personnel and organizations and refocusing capabilities on existing telecommunications and media businesses.

In particular, given the slowdown in the growth of the telecommunications service industry due to the maturation of the 5G market and the expansion of the low-cost phone market, the recent reduction in AI personnel raises questions about the sincerity of SK Telecom’s strategy, which had been touting its new AI business as a “growth engine.” In fact, the gap between external messages and internal performance is widening, as the business report minimizes or reduces the disclosure of key indicators such as sales, organization, and personnel of the new AI business.

◆ SK Telecom's leap to become an 'AI company', concerns that it will end up being just a declaration

An official from the telecommunications industry said, "SK Telecom's 2024 business report shows that its declaration to become a 'global AI company' may end up being just a declaration through a drastic reduction in AI manpower and restructuring." He also evaluated, "SK Telecom, which had promised to lead the paradigm shift in the telecommunications industry, is actually reducing its AI manpower and restructuring its new business, raising growing questions about its strategic consistency and reliability."

The industry's attention is focused on whether SK Telecom will be able to realize its 'AI Company' vision through actual investment in new AI businesses and personnel expansion, or whether it will remain a declarative slogan.