KT has released an enterprise sovereign AI product that integrates a Korean-made AI chip and its own large language model (LLM) into a single server.

KT said on Aug. 19 it has launched the enterprise sovereign AI appliance "KT NPU LLM Station."

The KT NPU LLM Station is an all-in-one product that runs KT's self-developed LLM "Mi:deum K 2.5 Pro" and an operating API platform on the neural processing unit (NPU) "ATOM-MAX" made by South Korean AI chip company Rebellion.

ATOM-MAX is a Korean-made NPU specialised for AI inference. Mi:deum K 2.5 Pro is KT's in-house model focused on high-difficulty reasoning and the use of AI agents. KT said it has assembled core technologies, including the AI chip, model and operating platform, using domestic technologies so companies can build a sovereign AI environment.

The product operates on an on-premises basis installed inside customer companies. Data and AI processing do not leave the premises and are handled in-house. KT expects it to be widely used in industries such as the public sector, defence, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and finance, where regulations such as network separation and security issues have constrained the adoption of external generative AI.

It also simplified the deployment process. Because the server, AI model and platform are integrated, users can use AI functions such as retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)-based question-and-answer using internal documents after installation, without a separate infrastructure buildout process.

By applying an inference-focused NPU, it improved power efficiency compared with equivalent GPU servers and supports industry-standard APIs. The company said firms using existing AI services can connect without code changes by changing access information.

KT plans to sequentially add its self-developed AI agents, including agents for meeting minutes, coding support and a work automation agent tentatively named "K-Claw." It will also expand into customised deployments in cooperation with specialist agent developers.

KT plans to expand the KT NPU LLM Station's scope of use to edge data centres for physical AI and also use it to build low-power, low-latency AI infrastructure.

Lee Jin-hyung (이진형), an executive director who heads KT's AX Business Division, said, "KT NPU LLM Station will be a practical option for companies and institutions seeking to begin AI transformation while protecting data sovereignty."

KT also plans to use Korean-made NPUs in the Ministry of Science and ICT's "AI for All" project to implement sovereign AI and strengthen the competitiveness of South Korea's AI ecosystem.