Three companies have advanced to the next stage of a government-backed project to develop an artificial intelligence service accessible to everyone for free, the Ministry of Science and ICT said Tuesday.
Two telecommunications operators -- KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co. -- and AI startup Upstage, which has developed its own foundation model called Solar, advanced from the group of four finalists to the next stage, the ministry said in a press release.
The ministry said Motif Technologies ranked last in the second-round evaluation, which combined benchmark tests with assessments by experts and users, and was eliminated.
The ministry's "AI for All" project is part of the government's efforts to create what it calls an "AI basic society," in which people can access AI services regardless of their income, age or level of digital literacy.
The government plans to provide up to 512 Nvidia B200 graphics processing units to two or three companies selected for the project. The companies are expected to launch their AI services within this year.
Starting in 2027, the government plans to provide budgetary support to cover the costs of operating the AI models nationwide.
Developers will be required to use South Korean AI models that meet the ministry's independent standards for foundation models for at least 50 percent of their systems.
To diversify the local AI ecosystem, companies with their own foundation models will also be required to use AI models developed by other South Korean companies for more than 30 percent of their systems. (Yonhap)