First Korean Financial Firm to Release 18 Quantized Large Language Models
on Hugging Face... Operable on Mid- to Low-Priced GPUs
On July 9, BC Card announced that it has become the first financial company in Korea to release 18 types of quantized large language models (LLMs) on Hugging Face, a global artificial intelligence (AI) platform.
The 18 LLMs made public this time are notable for applying dynamic quantization technology, allowing anyone to utilize large-scale AI without the need for expensive graphics processing units (GPUs).
Dynamic quantization is a technology that compresses the numerical values used by AI models for distribution, and then restores them at the point of actual use, thereby enhancing both computational performance and efficiency. Traditional quantization methods preserved only part of the model's internal values, which raised concerns about reduced accuracy. BC Card has implemented "zero percent loss quantization," maintaining original accuracy without any numerical loss through its proprietary technology.
This advancement not only improves processing speed by reducing GPU usage, but also enables stable operation of AI models without compromising output quality, marking a turning point that significantly lowers dependence on costly infrastructure.
In fact, when BC Card's quantized LLMs were run on the latest GPUs from global companies, AI computation speed increased by up to 3.5 times. Models with 32 billion parameters, which previously could only operate on GPUs costing around 40 million KRW, now demonstrated high performance even on GPUs priced at approximately 3 million KRW.
Such changes go beyond simple technological innovation and are becoming a crucial opportunity to lower the entry barriers for AI services. Small and medium-sized enterprises, startups, and small business owners, who were burdened by the introduction of expensive equipment, can now practically utilize large-scale AI technology in a more affordable environment.
BC Card is also actively adopting this technology in its own services. Currently, through its AI agent "MoAI," BC Card is reducing repetitive tasks for employees, such as internal knowledge Q&A, merchant screening automation, and classification and handling of customer complaints.
The company is expanding its AI services beyond payment functions to support consumer lifestyles through personalized marketing service "Paybook AI Hot Deal" and lifestyle content recommendation service "Living+," among others.
BC Card plans to launch AI-based merchant support services within this year, including merchant recommendations and marketing campaign planning for small business owners.
The company also intends to introduce an integrated solution that provides various MCP-based features through a user-friendly interface, enabling even users unfamiliar with AI to easily utilize these capabilities.
Cho Myungsik, Executive Vice President of BC Card, stated, "The release of these LLM models lays the foundation for efficiently applying AI to various industries and financial operations without the need for expensive equipment," adding, "We will continue to introduce services that enable both businesses and individuals to benefit from easily accessible AI technology."
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