The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Korean Agency for Technology and Standards hosted the 2025 International Artificial Intelligence (AI) Standards Summit on the 2nd to 3rd. On the first day, on the 2nd, the agency and the world's three major standardization bodies that co-hosted the event announced the "AI Standards Seoul Declaration."
The declaration lays out four directions to consider when establishing international standards, the shared benchmarks of the international community for using AI safely and fairly. The three bodies also agreed to consider the impact of technology on people, society and the environment when setting AI standards.
The three bodies also said they would strengthen criteria that protect human rights in AI international standards so that basic human rights are not harmed, such as through privacy violations or discrimination. In addition, they emphasized that AI standards are fair and trustworthy common benchmarks created with the participation of diverse actors—including governments, corporations, researchers and citizens—rather than by a specific country or experts alone.
Lastly, to narrow the gap in AI use between countries and societies and help everyone prepare for the AI era, they decided to expand AI education and training through cooperation between governments and the private sector in each country.
The Korean Agency for Technology and Standards said, "The Seoul Declaration reflects the international community's consensus that the benefits of AI should be enjoyed evenly by all countries and people." It added, "It is important in that it embodies the international community's shared commitment to advance responsible AI through international standards."
The following is the full text of the AI Standards Seoul Declaration.
International AI Standards Summit – Seoul declaration
Artificial intelligence (AI) provides opportunities to improve human welfare. Recognizing the transformative impact of AI on society and the importance of inclusive and responsible approaches to its governance, we acknowledge the value of international standards in advancing AI for an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe and trustworthy digital future for all.
International standards build trust based on conformity assessment, foster digital cooperation, enable interoperability across borders, and contribute to bridging the digital divide while strengthening international regulatory cooperation. To promote sustainable development and ensure that all people and societies fully benefit from the AI revolution, ISO, IEC and ITU commit as follows.
First, actively reflect the socio-technical dimension in standards development.
As AI advances and offers new opportunities in various fields, its benefits and impacts vary depending on the context in which AI is developed and deployed and on how AI interacts with people, organizations, the environment and society at large.
Second, deepen understanding of the interaction between international standards and human rights and recognize the importance and universality of both.
As international standards increasingly shape AI, they should be developed to support human rights throughout the AI lifecycle.
Third, strengthen an inclusive and dynamic multi-stakeholder community for the development and application of international standards for the design, deployment and governance of AI.
An inclusive, collaborative, consensus-based international standards development process brings together diverse perspectives to create AI standards that are suitable, effective and impactful for all.
Fourth, strengthen public–private cooperation for AI capacity building.
By collaborating to design and scale capacity-building programs based on international standards, the public and institutional sector can help societies and economies succeed and bridge the AI gap.
Announced at the International AI Standards Summit in Seoul, Republic of Korea, on Dec. 2, 2025