South Korea is vigorously investing in artificial intelligence, striving for universal coverage

According to the Financial Times, the South Korean Deputy Prime Minister recently stated, "Artificial intelligence should be regarded as a fundamental infrastructure like 'electricity,' and every South Korean citizen should be able to use it affordably without worrying about costs." Last year, South Korean President Lee Jae-myung stated that this technology has brought South Korea to "a significant historical turning point," and asked, "Are we going to continue to act as followers who may be left behind, or become leaders who can seize unlimited opportunities?" To answer this question, the government last month selected domestic telecom companies SK Telecom and KT, as well as internet service provider Kakao, to lead the implementation of the "Universal Artificial Intelligence" plan, aimed at allowing South Korea's 51.6 million citizens to use services similar to ChatGPT and personal AI assistants for free. The South Korean Deputy Prime Minister clearly stated on social media that despite concerns that technology may spiral out of control and lead to catastrophic consequences, South Korea remains determined to become "one of the top three countries in artificial intelligence." He wrote, "Currently, we have no room to slow down the pace of artificial intelligence development. We will accelerate, but we will do so more safely."