The Ministry of Science and ICT on Sept. 20 said it finalized a national ethical guide to research and development of artificial intelligence. (iClickArt) Unauthorized reproduction and redistribution of this image is prohibited under copyright law.

By Aisylu Akhmetzianova

Newly released guidelines support the responsible and ethical use of artificial intelligence (AI) by researchers at every stage of national research and development (R&D).

The Ministry of Science and ICT on Sept. 20 announced the final version of a national ethical guide on AI R&D.

The guide is based on the fundamental principle that AI's role in national R&D is limited to that of a tool, with researchers using AI responsible for and holding the rights to the final results. It presents seven key points for scientists to follow.

The seven are fact verification; independent judgment; assurance of transparency; management of results' reliability; compliance with policies and regulations; guarantee of security, and protection of personal information.

When assessing national R&D projects or reviewing academic papers, evaluators must make autonomous judgments based on their expertise without inputting relevant materials into external AI systems. The guidelines also ban parties subject to evaluation from using AI to avoid legitimate review criteria or manipulate or distort the evaluation process.

More information on the guidelines is on the ministry's website (https://www.msit.go.kr) and that of the Korea Institute of Science & Technology Evaluation and Planning (https://www.kistep.re.kr).

"Though AI is a useful tool that can greatly raise research efficiency, the ultimate responsibility for its use always lies with the researcher," the ministry said. "We hope these guidelines are an opportunity to create a culture of responsible AI use in the research sector and ensure the integrity of national R&D."

aisylu@korea.kr