2024.09.05
SK Telecom, Perplexity team up for AI-powered search engine
By Park Li-na, The
Korea Herald - SK Telecom, South Korea’s largest wireless carrier by
membership, announced Wednesday a partnership with Silicon Valley-based AI
search unicorn Perplexity to revolutionize traditional keyword-based search
into a more dynamic, conversational experience.
With the
conversational AI market projected to expand from $13.2 billion in 2024 to
$49.9 billion by 2030, Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas and its sole Korean
partner SK Telecom revealed their collaborative ambitions at a joint press
conference.
Founded in 2022 by
former OpenAI engineer Aravind Srinivas, Perplexity has rapidly emerged as a
global leader in AI-driven search technology, handling over 2.3 billion monthly
queries across more than 50 countries.
“Korean users are
particularly adept at engaging with complex queries and expect fast, accurate
responses,” Perplexity CEO Aravind Srinivas said, highlighting Korea’s advanced
communication networks and strong consumer engagement with AI services. “Our partnership
will enable us to offer an innovative conversational search experience that
mimics human interaction.”
SKT has already
invested $10 million in Perplexity AI earlier this year, while Perplexity plans
to invest in SKT’s Silicon Valley subsidiary, Global AI Platform Corporation.
GAP Co. is currently developing a Personal AI Agent, poised to launch a beta
version in the US later this year, enhanced by Perplexity’s search technology.
They also aim to
co-develop an AI-powered search engine tailored for the Korean market. This
engine will be fine-tuned to reflect Korea’s unique cultural context and offer
a more accurate and relevant search experience.
Through this
collaboration, SK Telecom’s AI personal assistant, A.dot, which already has
over 5 million users, is anticipated to receive significant upgrades, further
elevating its capabilities.
“Our partnership
with Perplexity will significantly strengthen our AI capabilities and bring new
values that never existed before in the global AI search market,” CEO of SK
Telecom Ryu Young-sang said.
Source: https://news.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20240904050480&md=20240905003045_BL