Busan Deploys 2,000 Civil Servants for 'AI Data' Tasks... First City to Introduce, Plans to Expand

Busan City Expands Data and AI Training for Public Officials
From 406 to 847 to 875: Annual Talent Development Goals Set

Busan City is expanding its AI-powered data talent training program for public officials, a nationwide first.

Busan City (Mayor Park Hyungjun) announced on the 4th that it will expand the “Public Official Data Talent Training Program,” which has been implemented since 2023 as the first of its kind in the country.

Starting with two courses and 406 participants in 2023, the program expanded to three courses and 847 participants in 2024. This year, it will further expand to five courses, adding 875 more participants. Over three years, the city plans to support a total of approximately 2,000 public officials in developing their data and AI utilization capabilities.

The “Data Talent Training Program” has driven changes in organizational culture by strengthening data utilization capabilities in the public sector and promoting scientific, data-driven decision-making.

Since last year, the program has incorporated AI-based training, such as generative ChatGPT, to enhance policy planning and administrative skills.

Additionally, by analyzing civil complaint data to derive ways to improve administrative services and using public data analysis to increase the reliability and objectivity of policy-making, the city is spreading data-driven administration.

This year’s Busan City training will focus on establishing a data-driven organizational culture by operating systematic learning processes that reflect participants’ data utilization capabilities, expanding practical exercises to boost applicability, and providing instructor support systems to create an effective learning environment.

A systematically connected, customized curriculum from Level 0 to Level 4 will help public officials acquire data analysis and AI utilization skills step by step, with a focus on practical training for real-world administrative application.

The “Big-Data Wave,” Busan’s integrated data platform, will be actively used in the training so that participants can analyze data reflecting regional characteristics and directly apply their findings to policy-making and administrative improvements.

The training will make full use of public data within Big-Data Wave, as well as analysis tools such as “Brightics” and visualization tools like “BIX5,” to provide education closely tailored to the local context.

Public officials from the city, districts, and counties who wish to participate can apply online or via QR code starting from the 4th. The first training, themed “Data Awareness Transformation,” will be held on April 21 at Narakiwoom Busan Youth Startup Hub.

Busan City plans to hold a data analysis and utilization competition this October to further enhance public officials’ data utilization skills and discover practical analysis cases that can be used for policy-making and administrative innovation.

Jung Nayoung, Director of Future Technology Strategy at Busan City, stated, “We are actively responding to realize smart administration based on AI and data,” and added, “We will continue to strive to make public administration more innovative and ultimately provide better services to our citizens.”