Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) said on the 21st that it established an artificial intelligence (AI) ethics charter and received certification as an "AI ethics compliance institution" from the National Information Society Agency (NIA).
The "AI ethics compliance institution" certification is granted to institutions that meet certain standards to promote the ethical development and use of AI and to enhance accountability in the public and private sectors.
Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) built an AI ethics management system while pursuing an agency-wide artificial intelligence transformation (AX) to prevent issues such as bias, invasion of personal information, and security risks that may arise in the process of using AI.
To that end, in Jul., it prepared the "Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) AI ethics charter," which contains basic principles for responsible AI use and conduct standards for executives and employees.
The ethics charter includes six principles: ▲ human-centered use of AI ▲ securing fairness and preventing discrimination ▲ transparent operation and sufficient explanation ▲ protection of personal information and data ▲ ensuring safety and reliability ▲ strengthening accountability for AI use.
Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME) distributed the ethics charter in poster form to all departments and posted it in offices and counseling spaces. It also conducted training on "AI ethics and responsible AI use" for employees in relevant departments. The training covered precautions when using Generative AI, protection of personal and internal information, procedures to verify bias and errors in AI outputs, and compliance with copyright and security.
In particular, it emphasized the responsibilities and roles of executives and employees to use AI as a support tool for decision-making, such as having the person in charge conduct a final review of accuracy and appropriateness rather than using AI-generated results as-is for work.
Lee Byung-chul, vice president of Korea SMEs and Startups Agency (KOSME), said, "AX does not end with the introduction of technology; only when ethical principles such as fairness, transparency and safety take root across operations can we earn the public's trust," adding, "With the establishment of the ethics charter as a starting point, we will embed ethical standards throughout the entire process from planning to development and operation of future AI services, and spread a culture of responsible AI use to the front lines of small and medium-sized ventures."