South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT is set to launch a significant initiative to develop a national AI foundation model, aiming to compete with global leaders in the field. The project, which seeks to foster a robust “K-AI model” ecosystem, will involve a rigorous selection process for participating consortiums.
An expert evaluation committee,comprising both domestic and international specialists,will assess applications. The ministry plans to select up to five consortiums in August, following a two-stage evaluation process. This process will include a written assessment focusing on technological feasibility and business plans, culminating in presentation-based evaluations.
A key criterion for success in this venture will be the extent and quality of open-source contributions made by the AI models. The government intends to meticulously evaluate the open-source aspects, using this assessment to determine the allocation of government funding and the level of corporate investment required.
The overarching objective of this national project is to establish a globally competitive AI model.From late this year through 2027, a competitive evaluation process will identify up to two national models that achieve at least 95% of the performance benchmarks set by leading global AI models from major technology companies.
During a recent personnel hearing, Baek Jong-hoon, the Minister of Science and ICT, articulated the project’s ambitious goal: “The business objective is to secure an AI model that can challenge the world’s highest level.” He further emphasized the vision of cultivating an AI ecosystem that promotes collective growth through the growth of the “K-AI model.”
