SEOUL – SK Telecom announced a significant collaboration, signing an agreement with Japan’s SoftBank and the Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies (CSES). This landmark partnership aims to jointly develop a universal framework for accurately measuring the social value generated by artificial intelligence (AI) and information and communication technology (ICT) services.
This memorandum of understanding (MOU) signifies a strengthened commitment among the three entities to enhance their cooperation in social value assessment. As AI technologies continue to advance and permeate various sectors, companies are increasingly seeking clear, standardized methodologies to evaluate their broader societal impact.
AI’s applications now extend beyond mere productivity enhancements, playing a crucial role in areas like public safety, digital inclusion, and improving customer convenience. Concurrently, businesses face growing pressure to articulate the social benefits of their AI-powered services in termsable and objective ways.
To address this, SK Telecom, SoftBank, and CSES plan to meticulously develop robust indicators applicable across a wide range of AI and ICT products and services. This initiative will leverage their collective expertise in social value measurement, along with proprietary business data and extensive service experience from each organization.
Beyond development, the partners are committed to promoting the widespread adoption of this methodology. They intend to drive its use in Korea, Japan, and other global markets through comprehensive case studies, collaborative reports, and impactful industry forums.
This latest agreement builds upon a foundational memorandum signed by the three organizations in April 2024. Since then, they have actively engaged in workshops and exchanged valuable case studies focused on social value measurement. Notably, as part of this ongoing cooperation, SoftBank recently unveiled detailed results from an assessment of the social value created by its businesses last year, which were subsequently benchmarked against SK Telecom’s established indicators.
Leveraging insights and progress from the past two years, the three organizations are poised to further refine their measurement model specifically for AI and ICT-based services. Their overarching ambition is to establish a standardized measurement system that can be universally adopted by companies across diverse industries.
“AI is continually creating novel forms of social value, yet businesses also require an effective means to objectively measure and communicate this impact,” stated Um Jong-hwan, Director of SK Telecom’s ESG promotion office. “Through this vital partnership, we are dedicated to developing a robust social value measurement methodology that truly reflects how AI is integrated and utilized within society.”
