The government is moving to put together a comprehensive national plan aimed at building a foundation of safety and trust while accelerating artificial intelligence (AI) innovation. The Ministry of Science and ICT (led by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon) announced on September 30 that it has formed a public-private working group to establish the ‘(provisional) Master Plan for Creating a National AI Safety Ecosystem’ and will begin full operation of the group in October.
 [코리안투데이] Formation of the public-private working group for the Master Plan to Create a National AI Safety Ecosystem © 장형임 기자 |
The move comes as AI spreads rapidly across industry and daily life, and as cases of cutting-edge AI posing real-world risks increase, prompting the view that putting safeguards in place is as urgent as advancing the technology itself. The Ministry of Science and ICT has been developing a government-level master plan, judging that policy and systematic efforts are needed to strengthen the foundation of safety and trust while accelerating innovation toward the goal of becoming one of the world’s top three AI powers.
Still, as AI technology and the industrial environment change rapidly, there have been concerns that plans drawn up on paper alone have their limits. In response, the ministry assembled the working group to actively reflect the voices of the industrial field that actually develops and uses AI, as well as the views of experts. The group will review the three key strategies and core tasks of the master plan and identify new and supplementary tasks that reflect global AI safety policies and industry and technology trends.
The master plan’s three strategies consist of ▲establishing a national AI safety management system (Strategy 1) ▲strengthening response capabilities for advanced AI safety (Strategy 2) and ▲creating an AI-safe environment in citizens’ everyday lives (Strategy 3). The structure spans everything from a management system to responses to advanced risks and safety in daily life.
The working group will comprise around 25 members, including the Ministry of Science and ICT, the National AI Strategy Committee, agencies related to AI safety, domestic and global AI companies and associations, and experts in AI technology and law and institutions. Participating agencies include the AI Safety Institute, the National Information Society Agency, the Korea Information Society Development Institute, and the Telecommunications Technology Association. From industry, major domestic AI companies and global AI firms, along with small and medium-sized enterprises and startups, are joined by associations such as the Korea Artificial Intelligence and Software Industry Association and the Korea Startup Forum. Companies will share experiences and views from the field of AI development and use, while agencies and experts will offer supplementary opinions from various perspectives such as technology, policy, and legislation.
The ministry plans to review the opinions of stakeholders and experts raised by the group, go through consultations with relevant ministries, and finalize the master plan by December this year. Because it will reflect both the private sector’s on-the-ground acceptance and international trends, the plan is expected to be directly tied to the safety of citizens who actually use AI services.
Lee Jin-soo, director-general for AI policy planning at the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, ‘We have been building a foundation for balancing AI innovation and safety, including through the enforcement of the Framework Act on Artificial Intelligence, but this is a time when the nation needs to strengthen its response capabilities against the risks of advanced AI.’ He added, ‘We will reflect the field’s acceptance and global AI safety policy and technology trends to come up with effective measures for creating a national AI safety ecosystem.’
Inquiries can be directed to the AI Safety and Trust Policy Division of the Ministry of Science and ICT (044-202-6290, 044-202-6381).
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