SK集团推出非学历AI人才项目AIGEN，约4000人申请130人说明会

A non-degree education program created by SK Group (034730.KS) to train young talent for the artificial intelligence era has drawn intense interest, with about 4,000 people applying just to attend an information session. Analysts say the response reflects demand for an alternative to degree- and employment-focused education, at a time when AI is rapidly reshaping both the skills companies want and the job market young people face.
An offline briefing for AIGEN, a two-year non-degree program, will be held at the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies in Seoul at 1 p.m. on the 28th, SK said on the 27th.
SK had planned to invite only about 130 people to keep the session tightly run. After roughly 4,000 applied, far more than expected, the company decided to hold the in-person briefing as planned while adding a live YouTube broadcast so that applicants unable to attend could also watch.
The program's name combines AI and "generation," and it targets people aged 19 to 34. Unlike conventional education centered on absorbing knowledge, passing exams and earning degrees, it is designed to help participants use AI to identify and solve problems on their own.
Those selected will take part full time for two years. In the first year, they will plan and carry out projects addressing problems facing individuals, society and companies while building the skills required. In the second year, they will tackle real-world challenges aligned with their own career paths. SK will provide 3 million won in monthly development support for two years, along with tailored skills training, project mentoring and dedicated workspace. The company is also working with Seoul National University's AI Institute to support humanities-based insight and career planning.
Entry barriers are low. Applicants face no requirements on education level or field of study, and need no coding experience or specialized AI knowledge. The program is also open across a broad range of fields, including technology, research, culture and the arts, and public and social sectors.
AIGEN differs from existing job-linked training in that it guarantees neither employment at a particular company nor a degree. Rather than teaching skills needed for immediate hiring, it emphasizes building the problem-solving ability young people need to forge their own career paths. It is also notable as a new talent model in which a company invests directly in young people's development, departing from the previous approach of training employees after hiring them.
That direction aligns with the vision of AI-era talent long emphasized by SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won. In a televised lecture in May, Chey said training aimed at quickly absorbing knowledge and performing well on exams will be replaced by AI in the AI era, stressing that what matters is developing well-rounded capabilities that allow people to adapt to varied changes and keep multiple options open.
SK will recruit the first AIGEN cohort from the 1st to the 15th of next month, select about 50 participants in late December and begin running the program in March 2027.