Ministry of SMEs and Startups to Supply Top Talent to AI Startups and Manufacturing AI Companies

Review of AI Talent Policy Directions
Promoting Talent Exchange Between Large Corporations and Startups

The Ministry of SMEs and Startups is exploring ways to supply talented personnel to AI startups and manufacturing AI companies. On the 20th, the ministry announced that Minister Oh Young-joo held a meeting at Tipstown S1 in Seoul with about 20 participants, including domestic AI startups, manufacturing AI companies, and experts, to review manpower policy directions for AI utilization and dissemination.

Globally, the recognition that securing core AI talent is equivalent to technological competitiveness is spreading, intensifying the competition among global tech companies to acquire AI talent. Major global big tech companies are actively promoting education to enhance the AI capabilities of their employees. In February this year, the government discussed whole-of-government policies to leap into the top three AI powers at the 3rd National Artificial Intelligence Committee, and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced the "Plan for AI Utilization and Dissemination through AI Startup Development." This review meeting was held as a continuation of that effort to discuss specific policy directions for nurturing and supplying talented personnel to AI startups and manufacturing AI companies.

Oh Young-joo, Minister of SMEs and Startups, is delivering a greeting at the "Meeting to Review Human Resource Policy Directions for AI Utilization and Expansion" held on the 20th at Tipstown S1 in Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Provided by the Ministry of SMEs and Startups

Min Soon-hong, Associate Research Fellow at the Korea Institute for Industrial Economics and Trade, delivered a presentation on "Current Status and Challenges of Talent Development in the AI Era," introducing the difficulties and manpower status of companies adopting AI, as well as recent government AI policies. In the subsequent discussion, various policy tasks were discussed, including the introduction of AI project-based learning, strengthening industry-academia cooperation between ventures, startups, and universities, programs to enhance the AI capabilities of current employees, and government support measures to encourage talent recruitment and retention.

Yu Young-jun, Director at Lutton Technologies, said, “It is necessary to strengthen visa policies and settlement support to attract outstanding overseas AI talent and to expand R&D support for AI startups to promote the inflow of talent into innovative projects.” Seo Ji-ho, Chief Operating Officer of Cleon, stated, “It is necessary to revitalize talent exchange between large corporations and startups through AI talent circulation programs and joint R&D projects, and to improve startup compensation systems by expanding stock option support.” Also, Kim Yoo-cheol, Head of Strategy at LG AI Research, said, “The most important factor in AI talent development is creating a growth environment where members can continuously develop their capabilities,” adding, “It is necessary to consider ways to strengthen the capabilities of current employees through project-based practical training.”

Minister Oh Young-joo said, “To nurture AI national representative startups and to secure AI technology and market leadership, securing excellent AI talent must come first,” and added, “The government will spare no support so that outstanding talent can grow together with startups and manufacturing AI companies and unicorn companies can be born.”