Inauguration Press Conference Held on the Afternoon of the 26th
"Korean Technology Will Soon Catch Up with DeepSeek"
China's artificial intelligence (AI) model 'DeepSeek' has sent shockwaves around the world, leading to the analysis that securing a domestic large language model (LLM) is not a choice but a necessity. It is explained that AI development companies should be supported to quickly train models by paying for data usage, while fostering AI models specialized in each industry to promote the AI industry.
On the afternoon of the 26th, Cho Jun-hee, chairman of the Korea Software Industry Association, held an inauguration press conference at the FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul, stating, "This is not a matter of patriotism but a matter of sovereignty. If we do not have a proper LLM, all information about Korea will be distorted, and the world will be changed by the perspective and definitions of American big tech." He added, "To put it simply, when asked 'Which country does Dokdo belong to?', the answer might be 'a disputed territory'," explaining why it is necessary to secure a Korean-style AI model. He further said, "Imagine what someone like former U.S. President Donald Trump might demand in exchange for their country's AI model," adding, "In plain terms, we have no choice but to 'go head-to-head'.
In response to criticisms that the scale of AI investment and technological capabilities are already lagging behind countries like the U.S., Chairman Cho explained, "Even in aerospace or the bio industry, the U.S. invests 100 to 1,000 times more than us, but we are catching up." He continued, "AI models like DeepSeek will soon be announced by companies like Upstage and LG AI Research Institute, showing how much we have caught up," diagnosing, "Even if the gap has widened, technology develops along a curve, so the moment to catch up will come."
The U.S. announced the 'Stargate Project' with an investment exceeding 700 trillion won, and French President Emmanuel Macron pledged an investment of 167 trillion won during his keynote speech at the '3rd AI Summit' on the 10th (local time). According to a survey by the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP) in March last year, the gap between the U.S. AI technology and other countries was 1.3 years for South Korea, 1.5 years for Japan, 1.0 year for Europe, and 0.9 years for China.
Cho Jun-hee, Chairman of the Korea Software Industry Association, is speaking at the inauguration press conference held on the afternoon of the 26th at the FKI Tower in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Korea Software Industry Association
Chairman Cho also expressed the opinion that a data compensation system should be hastily established to accelerate AI model development by domestic companies. Referring to the copyright infringement lawsuit filed by the three terrestrial broadcasters against Naver over news data, he said, "Institutional improvements such as sharing compensation for data through subordinate legislation are necessary," and added, "Government data vouchers should be made available to media companies, broadcasters, and companies related to academic papers." He also suggested, "In the worst case where a Korean-style AI model is not developed, wouldn't Korean content or copyright-related companies make money only if American companies pay for the data?"
He also emphasized the need to support vertical AI models. Chairman Cho said, "The market for creating chatbots or agents in industries such as automotive, chemical, shipbuilding, heavy industry, and batteries is still vast," and asked, "Which company would give data, manuals, or processes related to production, manufacturing, or material management to foreign companies?" He added, "Even if startups try to develop vertical AI models, it costs at least about 600 million won over two years. This is why small-scale companies find it difficult to enter the market."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
