[Future Wave] The Wave of AI Innovation: What Is Korea's Practical Solution?

Integrating AI into Korea's Strong Industries Is More Effective Than Developing a Korean-Style Standalone Model
"AI Umbrella" Needed for National Security Applications

Recently, the launch of DeepSeek's inference model 'R1' in China has caused a significant shock worldwide, especially in Korean society. The slogan "Global AI Top 3 Powers" has even emerged, evoking reactions similar to those during the advent of AlphaGo, blockchain, metaverse, and ChatGPT. However, it is now a crucial time to critically examine whether building a Korean-style Foundation Model, Korean-style OpenAI, or Korean-style DeepSeek is a desirable strategy.

The reason the United States and China are leading the AI race is not merely due to technological prowess but because of their vast populations and data, supported by enormous capital. In contrast, Korea faces practical limitations such as a relatively small population, limited data, and a lack of massive investment capacity. Under these conditions, simply aiming to create a Korean-style AI model may struggle to yield substantial results. While the advancement of GPT technology is undoubtedly a significant turning point, blindly investing to catch up may be inefficient. Instead, a differentiated approach that leverages AI technology to maximize Korea's competitiveness is necessary.

Innovation in existing industries using AI = Korea is a manufacturing powerhouse with global competitiveness. It leads the world market in various industries such as semiconductors, automobiles, displays, and shipbuilding. Integrating AI technology into these industries can create new added value. For example, building AI-based smart factories can improve productivity and reduce costs, while predictive maintenance technology can maximize process stability and efficiency. Additionally, introducing AI-powered quality control and automation systems can drive new innovations not only in manufacturing but across various industrial sectors.

Discovering new growth industries using AI is also an important task. For instance, personalized medical services using AI technology, smart agriculture, and AI-based financial services have great potential to attract global market attention in the future. Korea, with its excellent IT infrastructure and software capabilities, has sufficient capacity to develop differentiated services and products by integrating AI. This is why the focus should be on creating new business opportunities using AI rather than merely developing AI models themselves.

AI technology can be a tool to dramatically improve the quality of public services. Especially in areas such as health, healthcare, welfare, and climate change response, AI can provide more precise and efficient services. Moreover, strategies to internationally expand Korea's public service platforms are worth considering. For example, sharing AI-based medical systems or smart administrative systems with developing countries could also help secure data that Korea currently lacks.

AI technological innovation will inevitably bring rapid changes across society. Therefore, rather than simply aiming to develop a Korean-style AI model, strategies should be set to strengthen the competitiveness of existing industries and create new industrial opportunities through AI. Additionally, ways to minimize the side effects of AI development and maximize social benefits should be explored together.

Korea has traditionally maintained security by relying on the United States' nuclear umbrella. This was a strategy to balance between self-defense and the protection of allies amid military threats. Now, as AI technology emerges as a core element of national competitiveness and security, it is time to consider the concept of an "AI umbrella." This refers to a strategy of leveraging the U.S. AI ecosystem to pursue both cooperation and competition, given the practical difficulties of independently developing AI technology.

Seoyongseok, Professor at KAIST MunSul Graduate School of Future Strategy

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