[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Chae-eun] The government is launching a job creation initiative through an artificial intelligence (AI) training data construction project.
On the 24th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced that with an additional budget of 292.5 billion KRW, it will build and open a large-scale AI training dataset consisting of 150 types across 10 essential fields for AI service development. Approximately 584 institutions and companies will participate in this supplementary budget project, which emphasizes job creation by mandating direct employment by executing organizations at the time of project announcement.
Participating companies are required to directly employ at least 2.4 personnel per 100 million KRW, including big data planners and analysts, AI technology and application service developers, among various fields. Additionally, a scoring system will be operated to actively encourage the adoption of crowdsourcing methods, which have a significant job creation effect, based on the proportion of related budget allocation.
Extra points will also be given for job creation targeting vulnerable groups such as career-interrupted women, persons with disabilities, and retirees. For example, NHN, one of the companies participating in this project, plans to recruit about 6,000 socially disadvantaged individuals in the voice data processing field, including basic livelihood security recipients, independent children, children from single-parent families, families supported by laboring mothers, persons with severe disabilities, multicultural families, and elderly living alone.
Specialized personnel from fields such as healthcare, beauty, navigation, pet training, and nutritionists are also expected to participate in this AI training data construction project. In the healthcare sector, 23 major domestic hospitals, including Seoul National University Hospital and the National Cancer Center, will participate extensively, with specialists in radiology, dermatology, and other medical departments processing medical data.
Additionally, plans include Δcollecting hairstyle image data using beauticians at 200 small business beauty salons (Ain Planet) Δanalyzing maritime images such as sea buoys through professional navigators (Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering) Δanalyzing pet behavior videos using trainers certified in pet training (Matrix Corporation) Δanalyzing nutritional content data of food recipes using licensed nutritionists (Aider), among others.
Jobs will also be created for residents in farming and fishing villages who face limited employment opportunities. This project includes Δcollecting regional dialects in cooperation with local farming and fishing women's associations (Saltlux) Δemploying fishermen during off-season and fishing ban periods (November to December) for maritime data collection (Korea Research Institute of Ships and Ocean Engineering) Δhiring residents of mountain villages in Imsil, Jeonbuk, to collect herbal data (Gachon University Industry-Academic Cooperation Foundation), thereby providing income-generating opportunities in rural areas.
Kim Jung-won, Director of the Information and Communication Policy Office at the Ministry of Science and ICT, stated, "Through the AI training data construction project, we expect to achieve both future preparedness for the AI era and overcoming the job crisis caused by COVID-19." He added, "We will continue to develop effective follow-up measures to create more jobs, improve appropriate compensation and treatment, and connect them to stable employment."
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