Key Points
Microsoft expands AI collaboration with South Korean companies
Nadella emphasizes productivity gains through AI technology
KT Corp partnership targets language-specific AI models
Broad skill diffusion crucial for AI advancement
"You see a tremendous amount of productivity gains (through AI). And this is not just about Microsoft. It's happening right here in Korea, with all kinds of customers everywhere," Nadalla said in a keynote speech during the 'Microsoft AI Tour 2025' in Seoul.
He introduced South Korean companies that have integrated Microsoft's AI solutions, including Copilot, its generative AI chatbot, to enhance productivity and customer service, reports Yonhap news agency.
"It's just fantastic, whether it's in gaming, whether it's in retail or whether it's in manufacturing. You see all these companies here, who are able to use this technology to drive tangible returns on investment and tangible productivity gains," he said.
Nadella highlighted a 2.4 trillion-won ($1.65 billion) partnership with South Korean telecommunications giant KT Corp. signed last year. He emphasized that the two companies share a vision of AI playing a key role in transforming daily lives and the broader economy.
"We are also very mindful that one of the most important things for us to collectively do is to ensure the broad diffusion of skills around AI," he said.
"It's about the human capital of Korea and the AI capability of Korea, that together will create an economy that flourishes way into the future," he added.
Nadella met with KT CEO Kim Young-shub the previous day to discuss details of the partnership, focusing on jointly developing new AI models tailored to the Korean language and culture, as well as new cloud services catering to the needs of Korean corporate customers.
He expressed confidence that the collaboration will further boost South Korea's economic growth.
"We partnered with KT to really ensure that we can bring that next level of capability that is locally being built around our platforms to enable the rest of the Korean economy," he said.
