South Korea has taken a historic decision to provide free and unlimited artificial intelligence (AI) services to all of its nearly 52 million citizens, in a move modelled on public broadband and education services.
The main aim of the government plan is to give people easy and free access to modern AI chatbots, allowing them to use the technology for matters related to health, finance and everyday life.
The move could make South Korea the first country in the world to recognise AI as an essential public service.
South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced on Friday that three syndicates had been selected from six companies that bid for the ‘AI for Everyone’ project.
The government will provide the three groups with a total of 512 Nvidia B200 graphics processing units (GPUs) to help expand the country’s local AI ecosystem.
The government has also prepared a comprehensive plan to cover the full cost of the nationwide service from 2027.
According to the ministry, formal agreements with the selected groups are expected by September. A beta version of the service will then be launched, with full public access expected by the end of the year.
The plan marks a major step in South Korea’s push to make AI a public necessity rather than a service available only to those who can afford it.
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