SK Telecom, a major telecommunications company in South Korea, is initiating changes in its newly launched AI division, the AI Company-in-Company (AI CIC). This move includes offering a voluntary retirement program to employees within the unit as the company aims to consolidate its various AI-related departments. This restructuring follows the AI CIC’s announcement at the end of September, which is intended to enhance operational efficiency.
A spokesperson from SK Telecom clarified that the voluntary retirement program is not indicative of downsizing and does not involve mandatory layoffs. Instead, it is designed to assist employees who may experience changes in their roles, organizational structure, or work locations. Employees who choose to remain with the company may be relocated to different regional offices. The AI unit is reported to employ around 1,000 individuals, and the details of the program have been made accessible to employees at all levels, from junior to senior positions.
The establishment of the AI CIC aims to unify the company’s various AI divisions into a single, streamlined organization. As part of this integration, the company anticipates potential changes including role transitions, realignments, and relocations. The new division will be responsible for developing SK Telecom’s personal AI agent, named A., overseeing AI data center operations, enterprise AI business, and managing global AI partnerships and investments.
Reportedly, severance packages for those opting for the retirement program will differ based on tenure and position, although the company has not set specific internal targets for participation. The spokesperson noted that predicting the overall impact of the program is challenging at this stage.
This restructuring aligns with SK Telecom’s goal to enhance efficiencies in its operations, particularly within the AI domain, with a target of achieving ₩5 trillion (approximately $3.5 billion) in annual revenue by 2030 from AI-driven services and related infrastructure. The company has recently made strides in AI infrastructure, announcing GPU-as-a-service offerings in collaboration with Nvidia, as well as a partnership with OpenAI to develop AI data centers in southwestern Korea.
Source: https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/17/sk-telecoms-ai-unit-offers-staff-voluntary-retirement-program-just-weeks-after-launch/