KT, SK Telecom, Upstage advance to next stage in gov't-led AI project

SEOUL, August 18 (Yonhap) - Three entities have progressed to the subsequent phase of a government-initiated AI initiative, designed to create a universally accessible, free AI service, according to the Ministry of Science and ICT. The Ministry disclosed that telecommunications giants KT Corp. and SK Telecom Co., along with AI startup Upstage, which has created its proprietary foundation model called Solar, advanced from the initial four finalists for the next stage.

The Ministry stated that Motif Technologies was eliminated in the second-round evaluation, which consisted of benchmark tests, expert assessments, and user feedback, and thus was not selected for advancement. As part of the government's "AI for All" project, which aims to establish an "AI basic society" where individuals can access AI services irrespective of their financial status, age, or digital proficiency level, the Ministry plans to allocate up to 512 Nvidia B200 graphics processing units to the chosen companies.

These companies are anticipated to launch their AI services within the current year. The government intends to provide financial backing, commencing in 2027, to cover the operational expenses of the AI models across the nation. Developers will be obligated to incorporate South Korean AI models that satisfy the Ministry's independent standards for foundation models in at least 50% of their systems.

To promote a more diverse local AI ecosystem, entities with their own foundation models will also be required to utilize AI models developed by other South Korean companies for over 30% of their systems.