The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Korean Agency for Technology and Standards (KATS) said on the 2nd it will co-host the 2025 International Artificial Intelligence (AI) Standards Summit with the world's three major international standardization bodies at the Shilla Seoul on the 2nd and 3rd.

Prime Minister Kim Min-seok poses for a commemorative photo with heads of international organizations after the announcement of the Seoul Declaration at the opening ceremony of the 2025 International AI Standards Summit at The Shilla Seoul in Jung-gu, Seoul, on the 2nd. From left: Vice President for Digital Transformation Kim Sang-bu; WIPO Assistant Director General Andrew Staines; ITU Deputy Secretary-General Tomas Lamanauskas; ISO President Cho Seong-hwan; Prime Minister Kim; Minister Kim Jung-kwan of Trade, Industry and Energy; IEC President Joe Bhatia; WTO Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie Paugam; and Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjorn Berge. /Courtesy of Yonhap News

The international AI standards summit is being held in Korea for the first time to discuss international cooperation on AI technology standards that differ by country. It follows a recommendation last year by the United Nations (UN) to create a venue for discussing AI standards cooperation.

This event is jointly hosted by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), International Telecommunication Union (ITU), and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy's Korean Agency for Technology and Standards. Earlier, the three bodies discussed and chose Korea as the first summit host.

The theme of this summit is "Standards, shaping the AI world." The aim is to create, for the first time, a venue for the international community to discuss how AI technology can be introduced and used safely and responsibly across industry, government, and society. Over the two-day event, discussions will cover ▲ strategic tasks for international AI standardization ▲ global cooperation models ▲ responsible AI governance measures.

At this summit, Prime Minister Kim Min-seok announced the "Seoul declaration on AI standards." The declaration sets out four directions for AI standardization to develop international standards as common benchmarks for the international community to use AI safely and fairly.

The summit is attended by the leadership of international standardization bodies, including ISO President Cho Sung-hwan, IEC President Jo Cops, and ITU Deputy Secretary-General Tomas Lamanauskas. Senior officials from international organizations will also be present, including World Trade Organization (WTO) Deputy Director-General Jean-Marie Paugam, World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) Assistant Director General Andrew Staines, and Council of Europe Deputy Secretary General Bjørn Berge.

In addition, executives from global corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Huawei, and Alibaba, and from domestic corporations such as Samsung, LG, Naver, Kakao, and Hyundai Mobis—more than 300 in total—will take part in the global AI standardization discussions.

KATS Administrator Kim Dae-ja said, "AI standards are more than technical criteria; they are the foundation of trust that allows the public to use AI with confidence," adding, "With this summit, we will do our utmost so that Korea can leap forward as a global hub leading AI standardization."

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