SK Telecom (017670.KS) is launching a bold organizational experiment, assigning employee identification numbers to artificial intelligence (AI) agents and managing them in a manner similar to people.
According to SK Telecom, CEO Jung Jae-heon presented "AX Innovation 2.0" at the "2026 New Icheon Forum," held last week at the SKMS Research Institute in Icheon, Gyeonggi Province. While AX Innovation 1.0 focused on improving work efficiency in the field, the new vision aims to fundamentally redesign how employees work, achieving productivity gains and business model innovation.
SK Telecom has defined AI not as a work assistance tool but as a new agent of work. The defining feature is that AI agents receive employee ID numbers and are assigned affiliations, job functions and authority, being managed in a manner similar to people from hiring to departure. The company also plans to establish a governance system, including rules on data and security access rights for AI agents. When AI agents collaborate with employees within work systems, the company expects repetitive tasks to be reduced, allowing staff to focus on creative and strategic work.
SK Telecom also decided to gradually expand its "AX Sandbox" program, which redesigns existing work methods around AI. The AX Sandbox is an internal experiment program that redesigns conventionally performed tasks from scratch on an AI basis. It is operated horizontally, without distinction of rank or department. From a three-month pilot run in some organizations within the AI CIC, the company confirmed the potential of a multi-role work style, in which one person performs multiple roles such as planning, development and design alongside several AI agents, as well as effects including shortened planning work time and improved decision-making speed.
SK Telecom is also working to improve its AI utilization environment. The company decided to advance its security system while integrating existing in-house AI development platforms such as A.X Biz, Polaris and Playground, linking them with major internal systems to enhance AI usability. "Through the routinization of AX, employees' time and capabilities will be converted into a growth engine that leads new challenges," CEO Jung said. "We will spare no support so that employees can freely build AI capabilities and create results."
