Minister of Science and ICT Choi Kiyoung on Dec. 17 holds a news briefing in Seoul to outline the national strategy for artificial intelligence. (Ministry of Science and ICT)

By Min Yea-Ji and Lee Hana

The government on Dec. 17 announced plans to add KRW 455 trillion to the economy and push up the standard of living to 10th in the world through the artificial intelligence (AI) industry under a national AI strategy devised by President Moon Jae-in on Oct. 28.

Under this strategy, the government plans to leverage the country's competitiveness in memory chips and create an educational environment that allows everyone to become AI literate. The goal is to train the next generation of talent and establish machine ethics in preparation for a people-centered AI generation.

One of the government's goals is to build the world's most competitive AI chip industry by securing the most critical semiconductor technologies going forward and investing in processing-in-memory (PIM) chips.

AI education will be expanded as well. Software and AI courses will be part of the mandatory curriculum in elementary and middle school, while teachers and civil servants must take AI classes before getting hired. The general public will get the chance to learn about the topic through online and offline classes as part of lifelong learning. 

A comprehensive negative regulatory system with delayed regulations will be adopted to allow startups to flourish. An investment of KRW 300 billion will be injected into the startup sector, and an AI Olympics slated for next year will encourage cooperation with overseas AI startups.

The use of AI will be expanded to all industries. AI technologies will be spread to 2,000 smart factories nationwide by 2030 and AI will be expanded in the development of new medicines, medical devices, smart cities and other sectors. 

Customized help will go to those needing assistance with the new e-government system. By setting up social security systems and using data analysis, the government hopes to expand one-stop service to 10 areas by 2022. Applying AI to public services like the forecasting of particulate matter and groundwater contamination is another priority.

The Presidential Committee on the Fourth Industrial Revolution will focus on AI-centered initiatives and cooperate with other government bodies to carry out the AI strategy.

jesimin@korea.kr