Inauguration on the 30th... Emphasizing the Importance of Sovereign AI
"Winning the AI Race... The Ministry Will Fulfill Its Role"
"Expanding GPUs... Government to Serve as a Catalyst for Private Investment"
Ryu Jemyung, Vice Minister of Science and ICT, on the 30th emphasized the importance of possessing sovereign artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities with national self-reliance, making it clear that the country must not depend on or become subordinate to global big tech companies when it comes to core technologies.
Ryu Jemyung, Vice Minister of Science and ICT, is answering questions from the press at the government Sejong building press room on the 30th. Photo by Baek Jongmin, Tech Specialist.
Meeting with reporters at the government Sejong building that day, Vice Minister Ryu stated, "It is true that global big tech companies have significant monopolistic power, but there is a huge difference between countries with national self-reliance and those without."
He further stressed, "If a technology is core and crucial enough to determine our future, we must develop independent capabilities without becoming subordinate, regardless of the cost."
Regarding Baek Kyunghoon, the Minister of Science and ICT nominee, he commented, "He personally developed the best foundation model in Korea," and about Ha Jungwoo, Chief of AI Future Planning, he praised, "He is a widely recognized AI expert in the country."
He added, "As the ministry in charge of AI, the Ministry of Science and ICT will establish robust policies to ensure that plans and visions are properly implemented," and expressed determination by saying, "We will fulfill our role as a ministry that can successfully compete in the AI race."
When asked by reporters about the revision of the Basic AI Act, including the suspension of regulations on high-impact AI, he replied, "It is true that some are calling for a suspension of regulations," and added, "It is uncertain whether the minister nominee will announce a position during the confirmation hearing. The issue will be finalized in connection with various discussions at the National Policy Planning Committee."
Additionally, in his inaugural address, he stated, "We will expand GPUs (graphics processing units), which are the core of the AI highway, and further support the development and demonstration of domestically produced NPUs (neural processing units) dedicated to AI."
He conveyed his inaugural commitment by saying, "Focusing on AI computing, data, and talent, we will build a world-class, robust AI infrastructure, and the government will serve as a catalyst for private investment, opening an era of 100 trillion won in AI investment to foster innovative companies."
Vice Minister Ryu cited the following as key initiatives: ▲ Building the world's best ultra-high-performance and ultra-intelligent digital infrastructure ▲ Comprehensive improvement of information security systems for safe AI utilization ▲ Significantly reducing household communication costs and greatly enhancing user choice in communication services ▲ Full-scale application of AI in the broadcasting and media sectors.
Meanwhile, regarding the SK Telecom hacking incident, he said, "Minister Yoo Sangim stated that July 4 is the target date for addressing the penalty issue," and added, "Although we are in the final stages, we will further discuss with the National Assembly how and when to make the announcement."
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