South Korea is moving ahead with a major government backed programme that will provide citizens with free access to domestically developed artificial intelligence services, as the country seeks to expand public use of homegrown technology and reduce reliance on foreign platforms. Under the initiative, known as “Artificial Intelligence for All,” the government plans to launch a general purpose artificial intelligence chatbot that citizens can use without fees or usage limits. A beta service is expected in September, followed by a wider rollout by the end of 2026. The programme will also introduce an artificial intelligence agent designed to help citizens find and apply for government support and public services. Selected companies will be required to rely substantially on domestically developed artificial intelligence models, including models created by other Korean companies. The initiative is part of Seoul’s broader effort to strengthen artificial intelligence sovereignty while making the technology more accessible to the public. On August 28, South Korea selected SK Telecom, Kakao and KT to lead the national artificial intelligence project.
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https://www.wsj.com/tech/ai/south-koreas-ai-for-all-push-gives-free-access-to-every-citizen-451f6b2c
