The National Assembly’s Science, Technology, Information, and Communications Committee announced that they would take the lead in supporting the promotion of the AI industry on the 19th.
Chairperson Choi Min-hee stated during an onsite meeting at Naver’s headquarters with committee members that AI technology is a crucial factor in determining South Korea’s future. She promised that the committee would actively work with the government and businesses to help the country become one of the top three AI-powered nations.
Choi emphasized that scientific and technological advancements should not be hindered by regulations. Recently, there has been a growing sentiment that active support for AI technology development is necessary, amidst the global competition led by big techs and China’s release of cost-effective AI models.
Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon mentioned that Naver was pioneering the AI sector in Korea and became the third globally to introduce a large AI model named HyperCLOVA X. She added that Naver is also making efforts to prove that South Korean technology can have a global reach by expanding into Saudi Arabia.
During the meeting, ruling party councilor Choi Hyung-doo joined via video call and remarked that AI technology is akin to international warfare. He committed to doing his utmost to increase the supplementary budget for AI-related initiatives and expressed hope for Korea’s AI prowess, centered around companies like Naver, to flourish on par with global leaders like OpenAI and DeepMind.
The committee also released a bipartisan agreement statement outlining their support for South Korea’s leap to become an AI powerhouse. The statement includes institutional commitments such as large-scale AI investments, enhancing communication with the AI industry, refining AI laws and international cooperation, and rapidly implementing follow-up measures with budget allocations.
The committee members also learned about the current state of Naver’s generative AI research and development and observed demonstrations of services integrated with the latest robotics technology.