South Korea Pushes AI Dominance: Selects Five National Foundational Model Consortia

“World Best LLM” Project Accelerates Nation’s AI Ambitions

South Korea is set to identify five leading consortia by early August, propelling forward a significant initiative to cultivate a world-class national foundational artificial intelligence model.

AI Race Heats Up

Fifteen groups, spearheaded by prominent entities including Naver Cloud, KT Corp, and LG AI Research, have submitted applications for this critical project. The chosen five will spearhead the “World Best LLM” endeavor, an exclusive undertaking focused on domestic technological advancement. This move signals a strong commitment from the nation’s relatively new government to bolster its AI capabilities.

Government Backs National AI Leadership

The Ministry of Science and ICT’s announcement underscores a clear national strategy to achieve AI leadership. By investing in a foundational model, South Korea aims to create a powerful AI bedrock for its burgeoning tech sector.

This push aligns with global trends where nations are investing heavily in AI. For instance, the European Union is set to invest over €1 billion in AI research and development through its Horizon Europe program. European Commission

The ministry’s statement, originally issued in Korean, details the ambitious scope of this national AI project.