SK Group Chairman Choi Tae-won has underscored that artificial intelligence (AI) must build robust business models to secure long-term economic sustainability, shifting focus from initial excitement to commercial viability.

According to SK Group on September 13, Chairman Choi delivered keynote remarks during the closing session of the '2026 Ulsan Forum' held at the Ulsan Exhibition and Convention Center (UECO) on September 11. Addressing local leaders, students, and citizens, he stated, "Given the massive energy and resources humanity is pouring into AI, we must somehow forge better commercial business models. We must reach a sustainable structure where AI generates its own profits and fuels reinvestment." 

While Choi has previously championed his "3S" strategy—Speed, Scale, and Safety—to secure AI competitiveness, he now insists that constructing viable business models and ensuring financial sustainability are equally paramount. "Concerns are growing that if we pour all resources into AI without seeing meaningful returns, it could burst like a bubble," Choi noted. "We must now think hand-in-hand about what kinds of business models to create and how to maintain long-term sustainability." 

Particularly focusing on the manufacturing sector, Chairman Choi emphasized the urgent need for data platform models. Pointing out that raising productivity through manufacturing AI requires massive data scales, he stressed that finding ways to gather and aggregate data faster than other nations is a decisive factor for success. Building upon these ideas, he outlined a blueprint for Ulsan to evolve into an advanced "AI City"—a manufacturing and innovation outpost where AI converges with everyday life, arts, and citizen welfare. 

In addition to industrial transformation, Chairman Choi offered guidance for the younger generation navigating an AI-driven society. He advised young people to rigorously train four core capacities: thinking muscles to gain deep insight into complex problems, empathy muscles to maintain human connections, adaptation muscles combined with resilience to recover swiftly from failures, and experiential muscles gained through diverse hands-on challenges. 

"Ultimately, we must use AI as a tool to deeply understand human beings," Choi concluded. "Corporations must also move away from simply hiring applicants based on conventional credentials, shifting instead toward a