President Lee Jae-myung on the 27th met Demis Hassabis, Google DeepMind co-founder and chief executive officer (CEO) who developed the artificial intelligence (AI) program AlphaGo, and discussed the opening of the "Google AI Campus" and plans to dispatch researchers. Targeted to open within the year, the campus is being set up in a 600-pyeong space in Gangnam, Seoul, and will serve as a hub for the "K-Moonshot Project," an AI-based technology cooperation initiative between Google DeepMind and domestic startups and researchers.
Kim Yong-beom, Cheong Wa Dae policy chief, said at a Cheong Wa Dae briefing that day, "The Google AI Campus will open in Korea for the first time in the world outside the United Kingdom, where Google DeepMind is headquartered," adding, "Hassabis also agreed to actively consider dispatching Google researchers to Korea." At the meeting, Kim asked, "Please dispatch at least 10 people from headquarters to the Gangnam campus," and Hassabis, the CEO, reportedly agreed on the spot.
The "K-Moonshot Project" is a pan-government initiative created to solve national challenges by converging AI with science and technology. The goal is to double research productivity by 2030 and solve national tasks in eight fields—advanced bio, future energy, physical AI, space, materials, AI scientists, semiconductors, and quantum—by 2035.
Kim said, "As DeepMind, which has world-class scientific AI capabilities, joins hands with our researchers, we expect our capabilities to make a further leap in fields such as bio, weather and climate, and future energy." Marking this meeting, the Ministry of Science and ICT and Google DeepMind will sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in the fields of ▲ joint research on scientific AI ▲ AI talent development ▲ responsible AI use.
Regarding "responsible AI use," Kim said President Lee and CEO Hassabis reached common ground on problems of misuse in war. Kim said, "We had a candid discussion on the direction AI should take," adding, "If used well, AI can be a tool to solve humanity's difficult problems such as low growth, the climate crisis, and medical issues, while there are also problems such as use in war, so there was consensus on the need for common international norms."