"Promoting Low-Power AI Semiconductors"… 'Seoul Ministerial Statement' Adopted with Participation of 28 Countries

At the ‘AI Seoul Summit’ held to establish the safety, innovation, and inclusiveness of artificial intelligence (AI), the ‘Seoul Ministerial Statement’ was adopted on the 22nd with participation from 28 countries worldwide.

Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT (right) and Minister Michelle Donelan of the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology are holding a briefing on the 22nd at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, concluding the 'AI Seoul Summit' including the announcement of the Seoul Ministerial Statement.
[Photo by Ministry of Science and ICT]

At the ministerial session held that day at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul, co-hosted by Korea’s Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho and UK’s Minister of Science, Innovation and Technology Michelle Donelan, delegations from 21 entities including the United States, Japan, France, Germany, Canada, Australia, the European Union, and the United Nations attended. A total of 22 key figures from leading domestic and international companies such as Samsung Electronics, SK Telecom, LG AI Research, Google DeepMind, Anthropic, as well as academia and civil society participated.

During the ministerial session, in-depth discussions were held on global cooperation measures such as networking of AI safety research institutes emphasized by President Yoon Suk-yeol at the previous day’s summit session, and ways to secure resilience against potential side effects of AI in areas like energy, environment, and employment. Based on this, the ‘Seoul Ministerial Statement’ was adopted to promote AI safety, innovation, and inclusiveness.

The statement for trustworthy and sustainable AI development includes ▲the necessity of preparing for AI risks across all scopes ▲facilitating access to AI-related resources while respecting and protecting intellectual property rights ▲encouraging the application of low-power AI semiconductors and operation of eco-friendly data centers ▲and ensuring equitable sharing of AI benefits.

Minister Lee said after concluding the AI Seoul Summit, which continued from the previous day, and the AI Global Forum that day, "I hope to carry forward the achievements from last year’s Bletchley and this year’s Seoul to the AI Action Summit to be held in France next year, creating a ‘Seoul Effect’ that consolidates the international community’s capabilities to achieve AI safety, innovation, and inclusiveness." He added, "Based on the leadership secured through hosting this event, we will continue to closely cooperate with the international community to establish global AI governance and norms."

Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yeol also stated, "Our country has presented a unified direction of AI safety, innovation, and inclusiveness to ensure that various international initiatives on AI can be harmonized." He continued, "The adoption of the ‘Seoul Declaration’ specifying this and the ‘Seoul Intentions’ containing concrete action plans on safety is significant as it provides a new standard for international discussions on AI governance."