National Policy Planning Committee's 'AI Action Plan' Falls Short: "Repetition" and "Just a Declaration" Criticized

National Policy Planning Committee Public Report Conference: AI Industry Reactions
"Far Removed from Reality"... Concerns Over Taxpayer Waste
Lack of Plans for Data Quality Improvement and Regulatory Reform

"The reality that overseas big tech companies are dominating the domestic market under regulatory discrimination seems far removed from the current situation."

"This announcement feels like little more than a declaration. More detailed directions and actionable strategies need to be presented swiftly."

These were the reactions of artificial intelligence (AI) industry insiders who watched the National Policy Planning Committee Public Report Meeting on the 13th. The National Policy Planning Committee, established under the direct control of President Lee Jae Myung at the start of his administration, held this event to mark the end of its two-month activity. However, upon closer inspection, many considered the presentation to be essentially empty. While it featured previously stated slogans such as "Top 3 AI Powerhouse," "AI Expressway," and "Basic AI Society," it lacked concrete implementation plans, strategies, and feasibility. <Related Article = [National Policy Committee Report Meeting] Securing 50,000 GPUs... 'Basic AI Society' for All>

President Lee Jae Myung is speaking at the National Policy Planning Committee Public Report Meeting held at the Blue House State Guest House on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News

An IT company official commented, "The government repeated its initial pledges, such as building an AI expressway and securing 50,000 graphics processing units (GPUs), but there is still no clear explanation of how these goals will actually be achieved." He pointed out, "The objectives of securing core technologies and talent also seem disconnected from the reality that overseas big tech companies are dominating the domestic market under regulatory discrimination." He went on to say, "Since it is unrealistic for the government to achieve all these goals alone, there needs to be a concrete action plan to foster the domestic AI industry in partnership with the private sector."

An anonymous official in charge of AI at a major corporation also criticized, "There is no visible, practical action plan. The government is simply listing out goals like a department store catalog, but the 'how' is missing." He added, "AI should not be treated as a universal solution. Simply introducing AI into public services such as flood management, wildfire prevention, or welfare is not enough." He stressed, "It is essential to improve the accuracy of these services and to seriously consider how to maintain and manage data quality."

He particularly emphasized, "Becoming a top 3 AI powerhouse is not possible with computing infrastructure like GPUs alone. The overall environment must be well-balanced and supportive." He continued, "The current hot topic in the industry is 'data quality.' Efficient AI training is only possible when data quality is ensured."

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Another company official expressed concern, saying, "If the government only declares a direction and starts planning, the budget could end up being spent like 'blind money.'" He warned, "If this blind money is used solely for graduate programs or startup support under the name of fostering AI talent, it could lead to a waste of taxpayer funds." He added, "Within the industry, there is even a joke that people might quit their jobs, start an AI-related company, and just aim to receive policy funding."

There was also criticism that the government lacked the determination and boldness needed to break down regulations. On this day, Taeho Jung, head of Economic Division 1, summarized by saying, "We will introduce mega-special zones and shift the regulatory system to a negative regulatory system," but even here, the "how" was missing. An IT industry official remarked, "New technologies can change consumption patterns and lifestyles, which sometimes leads to side effects in the early stages. The government needs to be bold enough to accept those risks."

Meanwhile, the startup sector expressed concern over the concentration of resources in large corporations such as Naver and LG. Since the AI industry requires large-scale investment, there are worries that government support measures will be skewed toward big companies capable of matching investments, creating an uneven playing field. An AI startup official criticized, "At the public report meeting, the government declared it would expand venture investment to 40 trillion won, but I am skeptical about whether this administration is truly committed to fostering startups and promoting cooperation between large corporations and startups."

Taeho Jung, head of the Economic Division 1, is presenting at the National Planning Committee Public Report Conference held at the Blue House State Guesthouse on the 13th. Photo by Yonhap News

Earlier, on the 13th, the National Policy Planning Committee held a public report meeting at the Blue House State Guest House and announced the Lee Jae Myung administration's five-year national policy plan. Taeho Jung, head of Economic Division 1, emphasized "technology-driven growth" as one way to restore growth engines and rebound the potential growth rate, calling it the "Real Growth Strategy for Korea." He also stated that among the 12 key economic strategies, the government aims to become a "Top 3 AI Powerhouse" and usher in the "AI Era for All."

First, the government has positioned AI and energy as the main pillars of future growth. Kyunghee Son, head of Economic Division 2, explained that just as Korea achieved industrialization by opening the Gyeongbu Expressway in the 1970s and became an information powerhouse by building a high-speed internet network in the 1990s, the goal now is to build a new expressway for AI and energy sectors.

To secure AI infrastructure, the plan is to quickly acquire more than 50,000 advanced GPUs and high-quality data, and to secure core technologies and talent, driving a sweeping AI transformation across industries and regions. Through these efforts, Son stated, the government aims to create a "Basic AI Society" where everyone can safely benefit from AI technology.

AI technology will be used in public and administrative sectors to improve service quality and ensure citizen safety. The government plans to actively utilize AI to prevent and respond to disasters such as floods and wildfires. AI technology will also be incorporated into public services such as taxation, legal affairs, and welfare to enhance convenience. The "National AI Committee," which will oversee AI policy, is expected to function as the AI control tower, coordinating nationwide AI policies and strategies and strengthening its capabilities.

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