Nearly 70,000 Join National AI Competition With 3 Billion Won Prize Pool in Just One Month

Over 330,000 Website Visitors

2,261 University Students Join AI Rookie Competition

Competitions Continue Nationwide Through Year-End

Vice Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Baek Hang-hoon and participants from major domestic AI companies hold hands in a declaration ceremony for public-private joint cooperation at the opening ceremony of the "National AI Competition" held on March 26 at the Grand Hall, 7th floor of El Tower in Yangjae, Seoul. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

"Nearly 70,000 people have participated in the National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Competition. We will spare no support to make it a grand festival of AI for the public, with the goal of reaching 2 million participants nationwide." (Paik Kun-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT)

The "National AI Competition," which features a total prize pool of 3 billion won, is attracting enthusiastic participation across the country. According to the Ministry of Science and ICT, as of May 8, the number of competition participants stood at 68,057. The number of website visitors reached 327,426 as of that date.

In particular, the AI Rookie Competition for university students has seen strong enthusiasm, with 721 teams comprising 2,261 individuals participating. Deputy Prime Minister Paik told The Asia Business Daily the previous day, "We will ensure the National AI Competition becomes a festival that anyone can enjoy and participate in, rather than a technology contest limited to experts," and emphasized, "The competition is on track to achieve its final goal of 2 million participants. Through hands-on use of AI and problem-solving, people will directly enhance their own capabilities."

Starting with the opening ceremony in March, the National AI Competition—designed to enable people of all ages to freely utilize AI—has been met with an enthusiastic response. As part of the Lee Jaemyung administration's initiative to become one of the world's top three AI powerhouses, the government plans to foster a sustainable educational ecosystem where everyone can benefit from and utilize AI.

The Ministry of Science and ICT aims to provide diverse opportunities for people to use AI to solve problems by holding the competition at a time when generative AI models such as ChatGPT and Gemini are becoming an integral part of everyday life. Park Seung-yong, head of the Software Infrastructure Team at the Ministry of Science and ICT, commented, "Through hands-on experience—learning and using AI—we will create opportunities for people of all ages to interact with AI." In fact, even within the ministry, a group of five civil servants with a keen interest in AI development has formed "Team AI Sapiens" to take part in the competition.

Detailed by Field... "Open to Everyone Nationwide"

The Korea Foundation for the Advancement of Science & Creativity is hosting this year's "Youth Robotics Challenge," which leverages AI and robotics to solve real-life problems. The robotics competition is open to everyone—from upper elementary school students to the general public—and ranges from basic robot assembly and sensor-based problem-solving to submissions of works on diverse themes such as art, society, science, and cultural education using robotics and AI. In the preliminary rounds, 1,500 teams will be selected from different regions nationwide, and teams participating in the elementary, middle, and high school divisions will be supplied with rental robots for the event. Outstanding participants from each region will receive both online and offline educational programs, and a mentor-matching program with AI experts is also planned. In addition, participation in the International Telecommunication Union (ITU)-hosted World Robotics Competition for Youth will be supported.

There will also be an AI Creativity Competition for children and the general public. Participants must complete approximately four hours of education on generative AI concepts, principles of AI creation, and AI ethics before entering the competition. The event is divided into tracks such as AI-created fairy tales, AI-composed children's songs, AI webtoons, and AI posters. Participation is limited to the first 500 applicants per category in each of the five national regions. Winners of the regional preliminary competitions will be invited to an AI Creativity Boot Camp, where they can further develop their projects for the finals scheduled in October.

The government is also seeking to identify outstanding cases of practical AI utilization that people experience in their daily lives. Under the theme "A Spoonful of AI That Changed My Life," individuals can submit their best AI practices using smartphones—via blogs, short-form videos, and more. After a public popularity vote and expert evaluations, 14 winners will be awarded a combined prize of 34 million won. An AI Quiz Competition with a total prize pool of 220 million won will also be held. The AI quiz will take place on the first of every month from April through November, featuring questions on AI applications and general knowledge. The top 40 participants with the highest engagement will advance to the offline "Golden Bell" grand championship in November.

In addition, to enhance the AI teaching capabilities of prospective teachers, the ministry will hold the "AI Edu-thon," a competition for developing AI lesson plans. The final 14 teams of prospective teachers—including those from colleges of education and university students who have completed teacher training courses related to AI education—will be awarded a total of 17 million won in prizes for their outstanding lesson plans.

The National IT Industry Promotion Agency and the Telecommunications Technology Association are also conducting the AI Rookie Competition for university students through November. The competition consists of a general track and a domestic AI track, which utilizes AI models from companies such as KT, LG AI Research, NC AI, SK Telecom, and Upstage. Participants describe inconveniences or problems they wish to solve with their proposed AI solutions, and suggest which company's model and services they plan to use. In December, the 20 best teams will be selected and awarded a total of 350 million won in prize money.

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