National Artificial Intelligence Committee Launches in June: "Aim for No.1 Low-Power AI Semiconductor by 2027"

President Yoon Suk-yeol is speaking at the semiconductor issue review meeting held on the 9th at the Yongsan Presidential Office building in Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

The 'National Artificial Intelligence Committee,' encompassing the AI and semiconductor ecosystem, will be launched next month directly under the President. The government has set a goal to achieve global No.1 (G1) in low-power AI semiconductors and global No.3 (G3) in the AI sector by 2027.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, and other related ministries announced on the 25th that they reviewed and approved the 'AI-Semiconductor Initiative' agenda at the plenary meeting of the National Science and Technology Advisory Council held at the Yongsan Presidential Office. This agenda concretizes the direction of the 'AI-Semiconductor Initiative' announced at the 'Semiconductor Issue Review Meeting' presided over by President Yoon Seok-yeol on the 9th.

The AI-Semiconductor Initiative consists of nine major technological innovation tasks derived from analyzing Korea's strengths and core technologies in each segment of the AI value chain, along with key promotion tasks to support them.

First, the government will secure core technologies to challenge AI technological supremacy, including ▲ next-generation general-purpose AI (AGI), ▲ lightweight and low-power AI, and ▲ AI safety technologies. Additionally, it will develop processing-in-memory (PIM; memory semiconductors with built-in computing functions), ▲ low-power Korean-style application processors (K-AP), and ▲ new devices and advanced packaging technologies to establish a super-gap and new-gap in AI semiconductors.

Alongside this, to foster the hardware (HW) and software (SW) technology ecosystem of AI semiconductors, the government will develop ▲ AI supercomputing (K-Cloud 2.0), ▲ on-device AI, and ▲ next-generation open AI architecture and software.

The government plans to support the entire AI-semiconductor value chain by promoting ▲ comprehensive investment and financial support, ▲ talent cultivation, ▲ establishment of industrial and research innovation infrastructure, ▲ global cooperation and market entry, and ▲ leadership in AI ethical standards. In particular, it aims to solidify AI global leadership by successfully hosting the ‘AI Seoul Summit’ scheduled for May this year.

To realize this AI-Semiconductor Initiative, the government will launch the National Artificial Intelligence Committee directly under the President in June as a nationwide promotion system to concentrate all national capabilities.

The government stated, "We will establish a communication and cooperation system among industry, academia, research, and government that covers the AI-semiconductor value chain, such as the AI-Semiconductor Collaboration Forum and the K-Cloud Alliance, to leap to low-power semiconductor G1 and AI G3 by 2027."