KT to export Mi:dm AI to Thailand

KT CEO Kim Young-shub, fourth from right, shakes hands with Pete Bodharamik, chairman of Jasmine Group of Thailand, after agreeing to launch a large language model service in Thailand and the Southeast Asian market, at KT’s headquarters in Seoul, Thursday. Courtesy of KT

KT will export Mi:dm, its large language AI model, to Thailand and the Southeast Asian market as the Korean telecommunications company agreed on AI expansion in the region with the Thai telecom giant, Jasmine Group, the company said, Sunday.

KT said it signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Jasmine Group, to jointly develop a Thai language-based large language model (LLM) and expand its AI business in Southeast Asia.

“The MOU is a follow-up to a previous agreement between KT and JTS, a subsidiary of Jasmine Group, to jointly develop an LLM for Thailand and Southeast Asia. JTS is one of the top eight listed ICT companies in Thailand, with businesses ranging from broadband internet to ICT solutions and cloud computing,” KT said.

KT will provide the technology necessary for LLM development, while Jasmine Group focuses on building a GPU farm, a server cluster essential for market analysis and LLM development.

The two outlined areas of cooperation in developing a Thai language LLM and business model; analyzing and developing marketing strategies for the Southeast Asian market and transferring LLM development technology and know-how.

KT and Jasmine Group plan to build a GPU farm at Jastel, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Jasmine Group, in the first half of 2024. They will then start developing a Thai language LLM in the second half of the year.

Based on the success in Thailand, they plan to jointly develop a global LLM business model and expand their business to other Southeast Asian markets, such as Laos and Cambodia.

KT said the collaboration will help the company expand its AI business to other countries. KT sees this achievement with Jasmine Group as a chance to tap into the sovereign AI movement, in which countries and organizations are seeking to build their own LLMs without being dependent on big tech companies. As part of this plan, KT will officially launch its Mi:dm LLM next month.

“We are pleased to work together with Jasmine Group in the AI business,” Kim Young-shub, CEO of KT, said. “We expect that this collaboration will help Thailand strengthen its AI industry competitiveness. We also expect the joint entry into the Southeast Asian market will be successful.”