SK Telecom publishes first AI governance report

SK Telecom has disclosed its management framework for improving the safety and reliability of AI services, along with guidelines for addressing risks posed by AI agents.

The company said Monday it published its first AI governance report, covering its governance principles, accountability structure, implementation plans and key achievements.

The report documents SK Telecom's experience applying AI governance to actual operations and services. It particularly sets out management guidelines for addressing new risks from AI agents — systems that make autonomous decisions and carry out tasks independently.

SK Telecom is strengthening an integrated management framework that links personal data protection with AI governance. The company's chief privacy officer oversees the system, with the careful use of customer data and privacy protection serving as core review criteria for AI governance.

The company also applies the "Privacy by Design" principle, incorporating data protection considerations from the service planning stage onward. Through this approach, it systematically identifies and manages risks that may arise throughout the entire lifecycle of AI services.

SK Telecom applies consistent management standards to in-house AI agents across all stages — from development and testing to operation and retirement.

SK Telecom is also expanding international certifications for its AI management capabilities. In 2024, it became the first domestic telecom operator to obtain ISO/IEC 42001 certification — the international standard for AI management systems — for its customer-facing AI services. This month, it secured the same certification for its in-house AI agent management framework.

Through the report, SK Telecom plans to share its AI governance experience and achievements, and to continuously refine its implementation framework in line with advances in AI technology and shifts in the regulatory environment.

"The importance of AI governance is growing even greater in the age of AI agents," said Cha Ho-beom, SK Telecom's chief privacy officer. "We will continue to respond proactively to the evolving AI landscape and strengthen our AI trust management."

SK Telecom established its human-centered "AI pursuit values" in 2021, then in March 2024 unveiled its AI governance principles known as "T.H.E. AI." Since then, the company has been building out an implementation framework to apply those principles to actual services and operations.

SK Telecom is also expanding the deployment of AI agents across its internal operations. In June, it announced plans to establish a governance framework that assigns AI agents an employee number, organizational affiliation, job function and authority level, while managing their access to data and security systems.