[AI Hanip News] US Offers $26 Billion Prize to Prevent AI Cyber Attacks

Editor's NoteSince the emergence of ChatGPT, the world has been buzzing with artificial intelligence (AI). Technology is changing rapidly, and news is pouring in daily. Even industry experts who are at the top of their game are struggling to keep up. It’s overwhelming to consume it all, but you can’t afford to ignore it either. We bring you the core highlights from the weekly AI issues, carefully selected and easy to digest.

“Stop AI Cyber Attacks”… US Offers $260 Million Prize

White House exterior. [Image source=Yonhap News]

As AI advances, technologies that make life more convenient for users are rapidly increasing. Tasks that once required complex processes are now handled automatically by AI. However, this convenience is also being exploited for cybercrime. We have entered an era where AI can break through even robust security systems.

To prevent AI-driven cyber attacks, the United States government has begun taking action. They have launched the 'AI Cyber Challenge (AIxCC)' competition with a grand prize of $20 million (approximately 26.4 billion KRW). Held in collaboration with companies like Microsoft, Google, and OpenAI, the competition aims to use their AI technologies to identify and fix vulnerabilities in software used in power grids, transportation systems, the internet, and more.

South Korea faces cyber attacks of varying scales every year. Recently, some public institutions’ websites were rendered inoperative due to cyber attacks. It seems necessary for our government to discuss various measures to prepare against cyber attacks as well.

AI App Downloads Surpass 300 Million

AI has now become an indispensable tool in daily life. Sensor Tower, a global mobile market data analytics company, revealed that AI application downloads in the first half of 2023 grew 114% compared to the same period last year, surpassing 300 million downloads. This already exceeds the total downloads for the entire previous year.

AI technology is most widely used in chatbots and image generation/processing. Among the top 100 AI apps with the highest downloads in the first half of this year, over 50 were ‘AI+Chatbot’ apps, accounting for 49% of total downloads. Nearly 30 AI image apps also ranked high, with a download share of 31%.

Users are also increasingly spending money on AI apps. In the first half of this year, users spent $400 million (approximately 530 billion KRW) on AI apps.

Pope Francis.

“Reflection Needed on AI’s Potential Threats”

Concerns have been raised about the rapidly advancing AI. Elon Musk, founder of Tesla, is a notable voice among them. This time, the religious community has spoken out. Pope Francis, who visited South Korea in 2014 and is familiar to us, issued a warning message.

In his 'World Day of Peace' message, the Pope urged, “We must extend ethical reflection on the concept and use of AI into the realms of education and law, so that it can be directed responsibly to help protect humanity and our common home.”

Previously, in 2015, the Pope pointed out that technology could become a ‘disaster,’ but if the internet, social networks, and text messaging are used wisely, they can be gifts from God.

Naver to Unveil ‘HyperCLOVA X’ on the 24th

Naver will unveil its advanced large-scale AI ‘HyperCLOVA X’ at the ‘Team Naver Conference DAN 23’ on the 24th. Along with HyperCLOVA X, Naver plans to share its technology vision and business plans with users and partners, including generative AI search ‘Q:’, and shopping and search services powered by generative AI. Naver will also introduce its planned AI ethics policy to foster a healthy AI ecosystem.

On the day, Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon will personally present the direction Naver will take as a technology platform for all, moving forward together with users and partners.