South Korean telecommunication giant KT announced Wednesday its plan to ramp up its artificial intelligence strategy in the media sector, including introducing a new AI agent for its internet TV platform Genie TV an AI-powered content studio.
With the goal of positioning its media business as one of its three core growth pillars, the company said it will invest 500 billion won ($370 million) by 2026.
“With global OTT giants rapidly dominating the content supply chain, there is growing concern that the broader content market could contract over time,” Kim Chae-hee, executive vice president of KT Media Group said at a press conference in Seoul, announcing a roadmap aimed at applying AI across the full spectrum of its media content business.
While KT has been producing original content and creating synergy with its internet TV platform, Genie TV, Kim said the continuing costs and shifting viewer habits are pushing the company to change its strategy.
“Transformation is our media business is inevitable, and our 'new way' strategy will be driven by three key pillars: AI platforms, AI-powered content and business model innovation,” Kim said.
As part of the AI platform strategy, KT said it will roll out a media-specialized AI agent on Genie TV, starting in the first half of this year, developed through its ongoing partnership with Microsoft.
According to Kim, the company will introduce a Korean-customized version of ChatGPT-4o, transitioning the service from a basic voice recognition tool to a large language model enabling free-flowing, multi-turn conversations.
KT also said it plans to launch AI Studio Lab, which will apply AI across the entire content lifecycle, from investment assessment using AI-driven success prediction tools and assisting scriptwriters and storyboarding to production and postproduction using AI for music, visual effects and editing.
“KT’s approach is to integrate AI across the entire value chain, setting us apart from the others that apply AI to a few parts of the process,” said Shin Jong-soo, senior vice president of KT’s Media Strategy Unit.
Shin also said the company would introduce a new studio dedicated to producing short-form content powered by AI.
“In China, 100 percent AI-generated short-form content is already being produced, so we plan to take an aggressive approach to meet the global trend.”
KT is also ramping up its intellectual property strategy with the launch of a new unit, dubbed Next IP Studio under KT Studio Genie. The studio will focus on developing IP-centered content, particularly short-form videos, distributed through Free Ad-Supported Streaming platforms. The IP content will also be recreated into various formats, including feature films and dramas.
The company said it would open up its existing IPs to external platforms, moving away from previous distribution models limited to Genie TV and KT ENA. The company plans to license its content more broadly to both domestic and international OTT services.
“Relying solely on the domestic market limits our competitiveness, so we are beginning our expansion in the Asian market and are currently exploring remakes and co-productions with regional partners using our existing IPs,” Shin said.
KT’s strength came from owning the network infrastructure. But now, the company must compete on the merits of media itself, Kim said.
“This is a golden window of opportunity, and what we do now will determine our long-term success.”
By Jo He-rim (herim@heraldcorp.com)
