Daedong and KT agree to push for innovations in AI-driven agricultural technology innovation and promote their robot business together
Daedong and KT agree to push for innovations in AI-driven agricultural technology innovation and promote their robot business together
- Daedong will work with KT to develop AI technology for precision agriculture and robots, and promote its robot business in both agricultural and non-agricultural sectors
- Company wants to advance its precision agriculture technology and smart farming solutions, and also begin developing NPU and MLOps applicable to robots
- Aim is to launch agricultural robots equipped with on-device AI by 2026 and lead the Korean agtech with a Data-AI-Robot strategy
Daedong is joining forces with KT to develop LLM-based AI technology engineered for precision agriculture and agricultural robot products.
Daedong Group's future agtech platform company Daedong (Co-CEO: Kim Jun-Sik and Won Yu-Hyun) recently signed an agreement with KT (CEO: Kim Young Shub) on March 22 for “innovation in AI-driven agricultural technology and cooperation in AI robot businesses.”
Going forward, Daedong and KT will help accelerate the advancement of precision agriculture solutions powered by AI and the development of agricultural/non-agricultural robot AI systems to improve agricultural productivity and promote “AI agriculture,” which goes beyond simple digitalization of agriculture solutions. To give the joint initiative a better chance to succeed, both companies will work together to: develop AI-driven agricultural robot systems; innovate generative AI technology for agriculture based on the Large Language Model (LLM); develop on-device AI technology; promote agricultural/non-agricultural robot businesses; establish a Daedong Group data platform.
In this regard, Daedong builds precision farming solutions for outdoor agriculture and smart farming solutions for indoor agriculture using smart greenhouses and plastic greenhouses. The company will also work with KT to develop a digital platform (Daedong Connect App) and fine-tune its operating/management system to help people use the solutions Daedong has to offer. This, of course, includes cooperation in planning and operating LLM-based services such as GPT, which will be installed in the Daedong Connect app as well.
Meanwhile, Daedong wants to develop a Neural Processing Unit (NPU) model, which acts as the brain of an AI system applied to agricultural/non-agricultural robots, and a machine learning model as well as a Machine Learning Operations (MLOps system that enhances robot AI capabilities in order to pioneer a new market for robots.
Once it develops an NPU model and MLOps system, the company will create on-device AI (AI that runs on the device itself without an Internet connection) robots for agricultural/non-agricultural purposes in the mid to long term. To that end, last year, Daedong launched its first full lineup of autonomous agricultural machinery, including tractors, combines, and rice transplanters used for rice paddy farming, in Korea. The goal is to launch unmanned and “swarm” agricultural robots equipped with on-device AI by 2026.
Moreover, Daedong has plans to develop and launch transportation and pest control (spraying pesticides) solutions capable of operating autonomously within the year, and the company is looking to expand its scope to service robots that perform tasks such as moving, cleaning, and logistics. By doing so, Daedong wants to venture into the Robot as Service (RaaS) market, where it can provide robot maintenance services, other work solutions using robots, and more.
Daedong is a pioneering company that led the mechanization of agriculture in Korea. In recent years, the company has been pushing its transformation into a company specializing in future agricultural technology that integrates data, AI, and robot technology to lay the foundation for sustainable growth going forward. Accordingly, Daedong is gearing up to take the next leap as an agtech company by launching new businesses in smart agricultural machinery, smart farms, smart mobility, and AI robotics.
Meanwhile, Daedong’s newest partner in digital innovation, KT is also pushing its transition into an “AICT Company (IT+AI)” that offers customers a variety of innovative digital experiences to build a new future. The company has end-to-end services that help customers establish digital innovation strategies, provide optimized solutions, and give access to operational/management functions to deliver better business value for customers and to pioneer new markets.