Seoul advances AI leadership with national model plan

Baek Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of Science and ICT, said South Korea could win a Nobel Prize if artificial intelligence is effectively integrated into scientific research.

Speaking at a keynote session of the Dong-A Policy Lab on Nov. 14 at Lotte Hotel in central Seoul, held under the theme “National Strategy and the Future of Industry for Becoming a Top Three AI Power,” Baek said, “Some Korean researchers are already close to Nobel Prize level,” emphasizing, “If we apply AI technologies well and solve scientific challenges that have long been beyond our reach, South Korea can create an opportunity to win a Nobel Prize.”

Regarding the national AI foundation model known as National AI, he said, “Our goal is to develop a globally competitive model at the highest level,” adding that the government intends to “build not a top-10 model but a top-tier model recognized worldwide.”

Baek also said that OpenAI, Nvidia and Amazon Web Services are paying close attention to South Korea, and outlined a vision for the country to become the AI capital of the Asia-Pacific region through an independent full-stack ecosystem that includes semiconductors, cloud models and services.


장은지 기자 jej@donga.com