Promoting Industry Growth through 'Nationwide AI Normalization'... Government to Invest 909 Billion Won Next Year

Comprehensive AI Application Across Daily Life, Industrial Sites, and Public Administration

The Ministry of Science and ICT will invest 909 billion KRW next year to promote the "nationwide normalization of artificial intelligence (AI)." The plan is to apply AI across various fields that the public can directly experience, such as welfare, medical and health care, education, and culture and arts, aiming to establish Korea as an "AI powerhouse."

[Image source=Yonhap News]

On the 13th, Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the "Korea AI Leap Plan," which includes this strategy, at the "Korea's Super-large AI Leap" event held at the Blue House State Guest House.

The key tasks presented by Minister Lee include ▲expanding international AI cooperation ▲promoting nationwide AI normalization ▲establishing a digital bill of rights ▲securing AI ethics and reliability.

First, to elevate Korea's AI to the world's highest level, the Ministry of Science and ICT will begin global joint research with leading universities in the U.S., Canada, and the EU starting next year. They will also newly promote the establishment of AI joint labs and the dispatch of master's and doctoral-level experts for specialized training. Furthermore, through quantum consultative bodies and international organizations, Korea will strengthen cooperation on AI reliability policies and systems, and expand AI joint prosperity cooperation and overseas expansion support through Korea-ASEAN digital innovation flagship projects targeting emerging countries such as ASEAN and the Middle East.

Additionally, to enhance public convenience and drive industrial growth through large-scale demand creation, a joint budget of 909 billion KRW will be invested next year by related ministries. Through this, AI will be spread comprehensively across citizens' daily lives, industrial sites, and public administration, laying a solid foundation for a model digital nation.

Moreover, as a basic direction for new digital order norms, a digital bill of rights will be established. It will define the basic principles for a digitally prosperous society and the citizens' rights and responsibilities of each subject that must be guaranteed to realize it. The digital bill of rights will be announced this month on the first anniversary of the New York Initiative and shared with the international community through the UN, OECD, and others.

To proactively respond to potential risks and side effects arising from the rapid development of AI technology, AI ethics and reliability will also be strengthened. Specialized self-checklists and development guides for each field will be created, and a reliability verification system will be established to evaluate major risk factors and performance in AI services through credible third-party institutions. Technology development to overcome the limitations of super-large AI, such as false answers (hallucinations), bias, and harmful expressions, will also be newly promoted starting next year.

Minister Lee said, "We will steadily promote the nationwide normalization of AI, creating large-scale demand while sharing AI benefits with the public," and added, "We will also lead new digital norms and order necessary in the deepening digital era through strengthening AI ethics and reliability and establishing the digital bill of rights."

Meanwhile, about 70 participants, including government officials, domestic super-large AI companies, AI startups and young entrepreneurs, AI major university and graduate students, AI experts, and related organizations, attended the event to engage in in-depth discussions on the current status and potential of Korea's super-large AI.

Baek Kyung-hoon, Director of LG AI Research, Ha Jung-woo, Head of Naver Cloud AI Innovation Center, and Bae Soon-min, Director of KT AI2XL Research Institute, explained through the "AI Young Leaders Dialogue" that although Korea was a latecomer in AI, it has rapidly developed and secured an independent super-large AI model through corporate challenges and government support. They expressed confidence that synergy can be created by combining Korea's strengths in semiconductors, platforms, and information and communication technology (ICT) infrastructure.

Participants also proposed policies including ▲creating a win-win ecosystem between large corporations and startups ▲global joint research ▲supporting challenging AI research and innovative super-large AI application service development ▲securing cloud competitiveness using AI semiconductors ▲the necessity of establishing a new digital order ▲and securing AI reliability and creating institutional foundations.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.