National AI Strategy Committee Ramps Up Activities with Launch of "Korea AI Action Plan"

"Thorough Planning Before the Official Project Announcement"

The National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy Committee, chaired by President Lee Jaemyung, announced on the 16th that it has officially begun its activities following its launch on the 8th, including the formation of eight subcommittees.

Moon Young, Vice Chair of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee, is giving a briefing on the launch ceremony of the National Artificial Intelligence Strategy Committee at the Yongsan Presidential Office on the 8th. Photo by Yonhap News

At the first Operations Committee meeting held on the 11th, key topics discussed included the implementation plan for the Korea AI Action Plan and next year’s AI budget management strategies for all government ministries. The committee plans to finalize the list of AI action plan tasks assigned to each subcommittee by next month and to establish the comprehensive Korea AI Action Plan, which encompasses all tasks that each ministry must implement, by November.

In addition, the committee aims to thoroughly plan the domestic AI budget of 10.1 trillion won, which has been finalized as the government’s proposal for next year, in consultation with relevant ministries before the official project announcement next year.

On this day, the committee formed eight subcommittees, each consisting of around 10 members, with 33 private sector members and 52 subcommittee members assigned across the groups. Separately from the subcommittees, the committee also plans to establish an advisory group with no limit on the number of participants.

Im Moonyoung, Vice Chair of the AI Strategy Committee, also made his first public appearance. On the morning of the same day, he met with Yoshua Bengio, a world-renowned AI scholar and founder of the Mila Institute in Canada, who is also a professor at the University of Montreal, at Seoul Square.

During the meeting, they discussed the direction of the Korea AI Action Plan, AI and robotics research collaboration with Canada, and international cooperation in AI. Professor Yoshua Bengio also expressed his willingness to participate if a global advisory group is formed to help Korea become one of the world’s top three AI powers.

To further support the prompt execution of ministry initiatives, the committee plans to soon convene the National Artificial Intelligence Officers’ Council. The council will be composed of AI officers at the vice-ministerial level from each government ministry. The Chief Presidential Secretary for AI Future Planning will serve as chair, and the head of the committee’s support team will act as secretary.

The council will share AI policy issues by ministry, support inter-ministerial AI work coordination and collaboration, and monitor and evaluate the implementation status of each ministry’s AI policies.

Vice Chair Im stated, “We have quickly established the committee’s basic framework to support Korea’s leap to become one of the world’s top three AI powers as soon as possible,” adding, “We will do our utmost to fulfill the roles that the nation and its people expect from the committee.”