CEO Hassabis: "AGI Era to Arrive Within 5 Years...A Golden Age of Scientific Advancement Awaits" (Comprehensive)

Ministry of Science and ICT and Google DeepMind Join Forces for "K-Moonshot"
Deputy Prime Minister Kyunghoon Bae Meets CEO Demis Hassabis
MOU Signed for Joint AI Research, Talent Development, and Responsible AI Use

Baek Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT (left), and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the 27th afternoon at the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, covering key cooperation areas such as joint research in science and technology AI, AI talent development, and responsible AI use. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The Ministry of Science and ICT is joining hands with Google DeepMind to establish a collaborative framework for the "K-Moonshot" initiative and the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI).

On April 27, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, where the "Google DeepMind Challenge Match" between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol took place in 2016. The key areas of collaboration include joint research on science and technology AI, AI talent development, and responsible AI use.

Google DeepMind is a world-renowned AI research organization that marked a symbolic turning point in AI technology with its Go AI AlphaGo, and demonstrated the potential of AI in science and technology with AlphaFold. Notably, Demis Hassabis, CEO, was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for AlphaFold’s achievement in solving the longstanding challenge of protein structure prediction.

At the event, CEO Hassabis stated, "The era of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will arrive within five years," and observed, "We are facing a period of tremendous transformation with AI." Reflecting on the venue, he said, "This place holds great significance as it was where AlphaGo played against Lee Sedol a decade ago," and added, "Looking back, AlphaGo’s match was a signal flare marking the dawn of modern AI."

CEO Hassabis further commented, "This wave of change brought by AI will have an impact ten times greater than previous industrial revolutions, and its pace will be ten times faster." He also projected, "If we navigate and overcome the various challenges of this era of change, we may enter a golden age of scientific advancement."

Hassabis, CEO: "Meetings with Samsung, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, and LG Electronics"

Prior to signing the MOU with the Ministry of Science and ICT, CEO Hassabis met with President Jaemyung Lee at the Blue House to discuss AI cooperation. He remarked, "I am very grateful that the Korean government is deeply concerned about issues of security and safety related to AI," and emphasized, "Google DeepMind also looks forward to close collaboration with the Korean government in this area."

He added that Google DeepMind will continue to pursue close partnerships with Korean companies. CEO Hassabis stated, "During my visit, meetings are scheduled with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, Boston Dynamics, and LG Electronics," and added, "These partnerships will continue to expand and deepen in the future."

CEO Hassabis expressed, "We are pleased to partner with the Korean government," and said, "By sharing Google’s models with leading Korean research institutions, we aim to achieve scientific progress." He also said, "We will focus on nurturing the next generation of AI talent," and explained, "Regarding AI safety, which the Korean government is highly interested in, we plan to engage in discussions on international standards and various necessary procedures."

Demis Hassabis, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Google DeepMind.

Deputy Prime Minister Bae stated, "The first forum I held after being appointed Minister of Science and ICT was an AI-bio roundtable," and continued, "We have spent a long time considering and preparing for how to transform the field of science with AI." He added, "Starting next month, we will carry out various AI research and collaborative efforts centered on the National Science AI Research Center. As seen with Anthropic’s 'Mythos' model, AI is penetrating deeply into hacking and security domains, so we also look forward to continuing joint research with Google DeepMind to ensure safe AI use."

The Ministry of Science and ICT explained that the significance of the agreement lies in its timing, marking the 10th anniversary of the AlphaGo match. The agreement aims to transform a decade’s accumulation of AI achievements into a driving force for science and technology innovation, and to expand global cooperation for responsible AI use and advancement of Korea’s AI ecosystem.

The Ministry is currently pursuing the "K-Moonshot" project to enhance research productivity and solve national missions through AI-based science and technology innovation. Through this MOU, the Ministry and Google DeepMind seek to establish practical cooperation covering technology, infrastructure, and researcher exchanges.

The two organizations will collaborate across diverse scientific fields, including life sciences, meteorology and climate, and AI scientists. Joint research and researcher exchanges will be activated, centered on the National Science AI Research Center, which is scheduled to open in May. In addition, cooperation will be sought in areas such as the development and validation of AI models and tools, utilization of scientific data, and supporting AI-bio innovation research hubs.

They will also identify internship opportunities so that outstanding Korean AI talent can experience Google DeepMind’s research environment firsthand. To support this, Google will establish an AI Campus in Korea and begin full-scale expansion of partnerships with academia, researchers, and startups. The AI Campus is expected to serve as a hub for AI-based science and technology collaboration with Google DeepMind, in connection with the K-Moonshot initiative.

Cooperation will also extend to AI safety and governance. Joint research will be pursued to develop safety frameworks and safeguards for AI models to ensure responsible AI development. In particular, the Ministry and Google DeepMind plan to continue discussions on building safety frameworks and testing methodologies in collaboration with the AI Safety Research Institute, which evaluates and researches AI risks. They will also continue to discuss establishing a global AI hub in Korea and related cooperation measures to tackle challenges facing humanity.

Baek Kyun, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT.

Deputy Prime Minister Bae stated, "If AlphaGo ushered in the era of AI a decade ago, we are now entering a stage where AI solves scientific and technological challenges and has a real impact on people’s lives." He continued, "The MOU signed today is a pivotal moment for Korea to accelerate AI innovation in science and technology centered on the K-Moonshot initiative, while both organizations work together to spread safe and responsible AI research and best practices."

Following the MOU signing ceremony, the two organizations held a roundtable with AI experts. Attendees included Professor Chaok Seok of Seoul National University and Professor Wooyeon Kim of KAIST, both experts in bio and new drug development, Director Yongkyun Yoo of the National Science AI Research Center, and Haun Park, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AIM Intelligence, an expert in AI safety. They exchanged views on accelerating AI-driven scientific discovery and collaborative projects with DeepMind.

To ensure practical implementation of the agreement, the two sides will establish a joint working group and hold quarterly virtual meetings and annual in-person meetings to continuously discuss detailed cooperation projects and implementation plans.

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