Submitted and Approved at the Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting
Support for Phased Introduction of Vertical AI
Promotion of Online and Offline AI Education
Enactment of AI Utilization Promotion Act, and More
The government has unveiled a comprehensive plan to support the growth of domestic artificial intelligence (AI) startups and to accelerate the widespread adoption of AI by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and small business owners.
The Ministry of SMEs and Startups announced on the 24th at the Science and Technology Ministers’ Meeting that it had presented the "Support Plan for AI Utilization and Expansion by SMEs." At the meeting, key topics included the "AI Civil Life Top 10 Projects Implementation Direction," the "National Defense AX Development Strategy," and the "National Strategy for Science and Technology AI," with particular focus on the support plan for SME AI utilization and expansion.
According to a recent survey, the countries with the most companies listed among the world’s top 100 AI startups were the United States (59 companies), China (10 companies), and the United Kingdom (7 companies), with no Korean companies included. Additionally, a survey by the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry found that only 28.7% of domestic SMEs utilize AI, and there is a significant gap between the Seoul metropolitan area (40.4%) and non-metropolitan regions (17.9%).
Going forward, the government plans to foster AI unicorns by intensively investing at each stage of company growth through the "Next Unicorn Project" and expanding collaboration between global big tech companies such as Google and Nvidia and Korean startups. The government will also support the phased introduction of vertical AI, promote the spread of AI in small and medium manufacturing sites, and focus on nurturing smart manufacturing specialists, with plans to establish the AX support platform (Manufacturing AI 24).
For small business owners with relatively limited AI capabilities, leading domestic AI companies (such as Naver, Kakao, and RyuTn) will directly develop curricula for online and offline AI education programs. To promote regional AX, the government will actively support projects planned by local governments.
Finally, to ensure the continued transition of SMEs to AI, the government will provide AI literacy education, offer AI consulting services for key management areas, and establish a legal framework to promote AI utilization by SMEs (including the use of training data, easing of AI regulations, and fostering AI startups), thereby laying the foundation for the medium- and long-term AI transformation of SMEs.
Han Seong-sook, Minister of SMEs and Startups, stated, "In this era of great AI transformation, where artificial intelligence is fundamentally changing the landscape of industry and business, it is even more urgent for SMEs and small business owners to adopt AI in order to survive. Through the Ministry's AI utilization and expansion support plan, we will support the AI transformation of startups and SMEs, providing new growth opportunities for AI ventures and startups, and creating a critical turning point for SMEs and small business owners to secure future competitiveness."
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