Measuring AI's Social Impact
SK Telecom, SoftBank, CSES Collaborate to Develop International AI Social Value Standards
Anonymous
Key Points
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SoftBank publicly disclosed 14 social value indicators across economic, environmental and social categories in monetary terms on its website, illustrating how the measurement framework has been applied to business metrics.
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The MOU signing on July 9 occurred at SKT Tower in Seoul's Euljiro, with attendees including SoftBank Corporate Officer Yasuyuki Genda, CSES CEO Na Seok-kwon, and SKT's head of sustainability Eom Jong-hwan, signaling high-level cross-border collaboration.
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The Social Value Institute’s ongoing DBL (Double Bottom Line) approach underpins the effort, with the framework previously applied to SoftBank in Japan to monetize social value, reinforcing objective measurement for decision-making and sustainable management.
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SK Telecom’s 2026 sustainability management plan highlights AI governance as a key priority under the slogan 'Do the Good AI,' tying the measurement initiative to broader responsible AI goals.
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The collaboration aims to develop internationally applicable social value measurement standards and to explore indicators for evolving technologies like generative AI, with plans for case studies, joint reports, and international forums to drive global adoption in markets including Korea and Japan.
SK Telecom, Japan's SoftBank, and the Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies (CSES) signed a new agreement on July 9 to build a shared global standard for measuring the social impact of AI and ICT technologies, according to Korea Herald and SE Daily. The signing took place at SKT Tower in Seoul's Euljiro district, with senior officials from all three organizations present.
The deal expands a 2024 partnership. It aims to put a dollar value on the economic, environmental, and social effects of AI services — and eventually export that framework to global markets beyond Korea and Japan.
Why Companies Want to Put a Price on Social Good
The effort is rooted in something called the Double Bottom Line, or DBL, approach. It treats social value like a financial figure — something that can be measured, reported, and used in business decisions. Think of it as a second line on a company's balance sheet, next to profit, according to SE Daily.
SoftBank has already tested this method. The Japanese telecom publicly disclosed 14 social value indicators on its website, covering economic, environmental, and social categories — all expressed in monetary terms. That hands-on experience makes SoftBank a key partner for turning theory into practice, Korea Herald reported.
Three Organizations, One Common Measurement Framework
SoftBank Corporate Officer Yasuyuki Genda, CSES CEO Na Seok-kwon, and SKT sustainability head Eom Jong-hwan all attended the MOU signing. The cross-border lineup signals that this is more than a symbolic agreement, according to Korea Herald.
The partners plan to run case studies, publish joint research reports, and hold international forums. A key goal is building measurement tools for newer technologies like generative AI — areas where no standard yet exists. The framework is designed to work in Korea, Japan, and eventually wider global markets, SE Daily reported.
SKT's 'Do the Good AI' Push Ties Governance to Measurement
The new standard fits inside SK Telecom's broader 2026 sustainability plan. The company has placed AI governance at the center of that plan under the slogan 'Do the Good AI,' according to SE Daily. Measuring social value is one way to back that slogan with hard data.
CSES, which previously applied the DBL framework to SoftBank's Japan operations, brings deep expertise in turning social outcomes into objective numbers. The goal is to make the standards practical — not just academic — so companies can actually use them in day-to-day management decisions, Korea Herald reported.
A Long Road to an International Standard for AI Impact
Measuring the social value of AI is still a new field. No single global standard exists today. The three partners are betting that a joint methodology — tested in two major economies — can become that standard, according to SE Daily.
The timeline is not fixed, but the steps are clear: run pilot cases, refine the indicators, publish findings, and host forums to build international buy-in. If successful, the framework could give companies worldwide a common way to show — in real numbers — what AI is doing for society, Korea Herald reported.
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