SK chairman calls for sustainable AI biz model amid investment boom

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ULSAN, Sept. 13 (Yonhap) -- SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has called for efforts to develop a sustainable business model for artificial intelligence (AI), saying massive investment in the technology must ultimately generate returns to sustain investment and growth.

Chey made the remarks Friday at Ulsan Forum 2026, the group's annual gathering in Ulsan, a southeastern industrial city where SK is developing a large-scale AI data center with Amazon Web Services (AWS).

"If humankind has invested this much energy and resources into AI, we need to establish better business models to monetize it," Chey said. "AI needs to generate profits and eventually reach a structure where it can sustain investment on its own."

SK Chairman Chey Tae-won (2nd from L) speaks during the 2026 Ulsan Forum in the southeastern city of Ulsan on Sept. 11, 2026. (Yonhap)

Chey identified speed, scale and safety as key pillars of SK's AI strategy while emphasizing the need for viable business models to ensure the long-term sustainability of AI investment.

He also warned of a potential AI investment bubble if the vast amounts of capital and resources flowing into the sector fail to generate sufficient returns, underscoring the need to create a self-sustaining ecosystem in which AI-related profits can finance further investment.

Chey stressed the importance of achieving economies of scale as AI is increasingly adopted in the manufacturing sector, saying the vast volume of data required for industrial AI cannot be secured by individual companies or regions alone and requires a nationwide effort.

Chey said the capacity of SK's AI data center under construction in Ulsan has expanded to nearly 900 megawatts, adding that the group plans to announce further partnerships with global technology companies as the project progresses.

The AI data center, jointly being developed by SK Group and AWS at an estimated cost of 7 trillion won (US$5.2 billion), is scheduled to begin operations in the second half of 2027.

ejkim@yna.co.kr (END)

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SK chairman calls for sustainable AI biz model amid investment boom

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蔚山，9月13日（韩联社）——SK集团董事长崔泰元呼吁各方努力为人工智能（AI）开发可持续的商业模式，称对该技术的大规模投资最终必须产生回报，才能维持投资和增长。

Chey于周五在蔚山论坛2026上发表了上述言论。该论坛是该组织在蔚山举行的年度聚会，蔚山是韩国东南部的工业城市，SK正在与亚马逊网络服务（AWS）合作，在蔚山开发一个大型人工智能数据中心。

“既然人类在人工智能领域投入了如此多的精力和资源，我们就需要建立更好的商业模式来实现其盈利，”切伊说。“人工智能需要创造利润，并最终达到能够自我维持投资的结构。”

2026年9月11日，SK集团董事长崔泰元（左二）在韩国东南部城市蔚山举行的2026蔚山论坛上发表讲话。（韩联社）

Chey 认为速度、规模和安全性是 SK 人工智能战略的关键支柱，同时强调需要可行的商业模式来确保人工智能投资的长期可持续性。

他还警告说，如果流入该领域的巨额资本和资源未能产生足够的回报，则可能出现人工智能投资泡沫，并强调需要创建一个自我维持的生态系统，使人工智能相关的利润能够为进一步的投资提供资金。

Chey强调，随着人工智能在制造业中得到越来越广泛的应用，实现规模经济至关重要。他表示，工业人工智能所需的大量数据无法仅靠单个公司或地区获得，需要全国范围的努力。

Chey表示，SK集团在蔚山建设的AI数据中心容量已扩大到近900兆瓦，并补充说，随着项目的推进，该集团计划宣布与全球科技公司建立更多合作伙伴关系。

该人工智能数据中心由 SK 集团和 AWS 联合开发，预计耗资 7 万亿韩元（52 亿美元），计划于 2027 年下半年开始运营。

ejkim@yna.co.kr (完)

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