The government will launch the nationwide service "AI for all," based on a domestic artificial intelligence (AI) model, within the year. It plans to let anyone use a general-purpose AI chatbot without fees or usage limits and, over the long term, to develop it into a personal AI agent that handles public service applications as well as reservations and payments.
The Ministry of Science and ICT said it will invite corporations to participate in the "AI for all project" from the 13th to Aug. 11. It will select two to three private corporations with experience operating services for the public, start a beta service at the end of September, and roll out the official service within the year.
Selected corporations must apply a domestic, independent foundation model to at least 50% of the service. They must also use, at a minimum of 30%, AI models developed by other domestic corporations in addition to their own models. Foreign AI models may be used on a limited basis only for certain functions that are difficult to implement with domestic models alone, but any expense incurred for using foreign models will be excluded from government support.
The government cited as the background for the project that about 23 million people in Korea use Generative AI, but many rely on free services from overseas providers. It judged that free services have restrictions on the number of uses and functions and could be affected by future subscription price hikes or changes in service policies. Because AI use affects individual productivity and competitiveness, the goal is also to prevent usage gaps from leading to social and economic disparities.
AI for all will include a public AI agent that, alongside a general conversational chatbot, finds and informs users of needed welfare and administrative services and supports the application process. Participating corporations may also develop additional specialized services that leverage their strengths in education, finance, and daily convenience.
This year, the government will provide 512 Nvidia B200 graphics processing units (GPUs) it owns to support service development and launch. Starting next year, it plans to fund the expense needed to operate the nationwide service. Participating corporations will be required to establish their own revenue models by using data secured during user interactions and to continue providing services above a certain standard.
The government plans to select operators in August, go through a pilot service at the end of September, and officially launch AI for all within the year. After 2027, it will gradually advance the AI agent's functions to perform reservations and payments, going beyond recommending travel itineraries.
Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, said, "We will make AI for all a universal tool that people can easily use in working, learning, and daily life."