OpenAI CEO visits South Korea as country seeks to encourage AI development (updated)

LG

09/06/2023 05:40

(Adds Altman comment, paragraph 3; Naver confirmation,
paragraph 5; LG AI Research comment, paragraph 11)
    By Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang
       SEOUL, June 9 (Reuters) - Open AI Chief Executive Sam
Altman is set to meet with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol,
as the country seeks to encourage domestic competitiveness in
artificial intelligence. 
    After crisscrossing Europe last month meeting lawmakers and
national leaders to discuss the prospects and threats of AI,
Altman has travelled to Israel, Jordan, Qatar, United Arab
Emirates, India and South Korea - all this week.
    "People are focused on not stifling innovation, and that any
regulatory framework has got to make sure that the benefits of
this technology come to the world," Altman said as he met with
about 100 South Korean startups on Friday. 
    The rapid development and popularity of generative AI since
Microsoft Corp  MSFT.O -backed OpenAI launched ChatGPT last year
is spurring lawmakers globally to formulate laws to address
safety concerns linked to the technology. 
        The European Union is moving ahead with its draft AI
Act, which is expected to become law this year, while the United
States is leaning toward adapting existing laws for AI rather
than creating new legislation.
    South Korea has new AI regulations awaiting full parliament
approval; those rules are seen as less restrictive than the
EU's. 
        In February, a parliament committee passed an AI law
draft that guarantees freedom to release AI products and
services, and will only restrict them if regulators deem any
product to be harming the lives, safety, and rights of people.
    South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT announced in April
plans focused on fostering local AI development, such as
measures to provide training datasets for sophisticated
"hyperscale" AI, while continuing discussions on AI ethics and
regulations. 
    South Korea is one of few countries that has developed its
own foundation models for artificial intelligence in a field
dominated by the United States and China, thanks to local tech
firms such as Naver  035420.KS , Kakao  035720.KS , and LG
 003550.KS . 
    The companies are seeking ways to tap niche or specialised
markets that have not yet been addressed by big tech in the
United States or China. 
    "In order for Korean companies to have strength in the
global AI ecosystem, each company must first secure specialised
technology for vertical AI," or AI designed and optimised for
specific uses, said LG AI Research chief Kyunghoon Bae. 
    Naver said it has been eager to develop localised AI
applications for countries with political sensitivities in the
Middle East as well as for non-English speaking countries and
regions, such as Japan and Southeast Asia. 
    

 (Reporting by Joyce Lee and Heekyong Yang
Editing by Deepa Babington, Ed Davies and Gerry Doyle)
 ((joyce.lee@tr.com;))