South Korea plans to launch a free artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot service powered by domestic technology this year, the government said yesterday, seeking to reduce reliance on foreign platforms.About half of South Korea’s population of 51 million used generative AI applications in February, market research firm Wiseapp-Retail said.The vast majority — nearly 23 million — used ChatGPT, developed by US firm OpenAI.
People relax at Cheonggye stream at dusk in Seoul on Friday.
As the technology has spread, countries have become increasingly concerned with so-called “AI sovereignty” — developing domestic models serving their own security, privacy and business interests.A spokesperson for South Korea’s science ministry yesterday said that a government initiative aims to roll out a general-purpose AI chatbot, as well as an AI agent capable of more complex tasks by the end of the year.
“To persuade users to move away from foreign AI services they already pay for, we need to provide services that are even better,” South Korean Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon told reporters on Monday.“We want [South] Korea to move quickly into the era of AI agents and compete in that field,” he told a news briefing.The government’s first priority under its “AI for All” scheme is to integrate public AI agent services that would provide functions unavailable on existing foreign platforms, the minister said.The plan is also designed to overcome the digital divide by providing AI service for free, compared with many existing models, which require monthly subscription payments.From next year, Seoul plans to expand the system into personalized AI agents capable of assisting users with tasks such as asset management, learning support and retirement planning.“Providing free domestic AI services encourages users to adopt [South] Korean platforms, allowing demand and data to accumulate and helping the domestic AI market grow on its own,” Kim Yong-beom, senior presidential secretary for policy, said on Facebook yesterday.A public AI agent could also help South Koreans identify and apply to relevant government services, Kim Yong-beom said.The initiative comes as South Korea’s AI Basic Act took effect yesterday, establishing a national legal framework for the industry.New rules require labeling of generative AI content, introduce a management framework for tools that might affect people’s physical safety or fundamental rights, and expand government support for the sector.The legislation designates 10 sensitive fields — including nuclear power, criminal investigations, loan screening, education and medical care — that are subject to heightened requirements on AI transparency and safety.
