SKT Checks on Seoul Citizens with AI Call Service 'Nugu Bizcall'

An SKT model is using 'NUGU Bizcall'. Photo by SKT

[Asia Economy Reporter Oh Su-yeon] SK Telecom announced on the 3rd that it has signed contracts with 76% of the 25 districts in Seoul for the city's artificial intelligence (AI) welfare check service and is providing the ‘NUGU bizcall’ service.

The Seoul AI welfare check service uses AI calls to contact individuals such as single-person households once a week to check on their well-being. It is linked with administrative neighborhoods within the districts so that, if necessary, a responsible staff member can directly visit and care for the household.

The project period is from last October until the end of 2023. Three companies, including SKT, participated as AI call platform providers. Under the same budget, each district was allowed to choose the service provider they preferred, creating a competitive participation format.

The biggest feature of ‘NUGU bizcall’ is that the districts can directly create the scenarios needed to check on the welfare of the target individuals. It also offers customized services such as adjusting the speech speed or changing the male/female persona according to the characteristics of the recipients.

Additionally, SKT differentiated its service by integrating the control and operation services of Happy Connect, a social enterprise that operates and manages SKT’s ‘AI Care Service,’ to create a human-touch type AI welfare service considering a sustainable public-private cooperative operation method.

As a result, 19 districts, accounting for 76% of all 25 districts in Seoul, chose SKT, proving the competitiveness of ‘NUGU bizcall.’

‘NUGU bizcall’ officially entered the AI call business-to-business (B2B) market in July. This Seoul AI welfare check service is the first paid service commercialization case after entering the AI call B2B market.

Yoon Hyun-sang, SKT A. Product Manager, stated, “With the provision of the Seoul AI welfare check service through NUGU bizcall, SKT will continue to strive to contribute its AI and information and communication technology (ICT) capabilities to building a social safety net.”