Legal Basis Established for 'AI Industry Support and Regulation'
"Gwangju, an AI Hub City, Expected to Make a Global Leap"
The "Act on the Promotion of the Artificial Intelligence Industry and Securing Trust" (hereinafter referred to as the AI Basic Act), which was proposed as the first bill by Representative Jo Incheol (Gwangju Seo-gu Gap) of the Democratic Party of Korea, passed the plenary session of the National Assembly on the 26th.
Recently, as artificial intelligence (AI) technology has been driving innovation across all sectors of society and global competition to secure future growth engines has intensified, Korea has lacked a legal basis at the government level to support or regulate the AI industry. Although the importance of fostering AI was recognized during the 21st National Assembly and efforts were made to enact the AI Basic Act, it failed to pass.
Representative Jo proposed the "AI Basic Act" as the first bill of the 22nd National Assembly, and the National Assembly reviewed and passed a total of 19 AI-related bills, including this one, through a consolidated deliberation.
Representative Jo introduced the AI Basic Act to provide a framework for the government to systematically foster the AI industry and enhance its competitiveness, while also defining fundamental matters such as the definition of artificial intelligence, ethical principles, and safety, thereby laying the foundation for the alternative version of the AI Basic Act.
In particular, as Gwangju has positioned itself as an AI hub city, the bill includes provisions to ensure uninterrupted progress of ongoing AI-related projects, such as support for the creation of an AI cluster and the establishment of an AI demonstration base. It also establishes a legal basis for designating a dedicated agency to support AI integration.
Since 2020, Gwangju City has invested a total of 426.5 billion won to create an AI-centered industrial convergence cluster and has established key infrastructure facilities to support research and development, such as the National AI Data Center. The city is also accelerating the second phase of its AI initiatives, including the "AI Demonstration Valley Project" worth 900 billion won by 2029.
Representative Jo stated, "I hope the AI Basic Act will serve as a stepping stone for Gwangju to grow as an AI hub city, and that Gwangju's advancement in AI will become a driving force that enhances the future competitiveness of the entire Republic of Korea."
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