The Ministry of Education provided 120,000 paid AI accounts to high school students from vulnerable groups and rural areas.

The Ministry of Education plans to provide paid AI accounts to 120,000 high school students, including those from vulnerable backgrounds and rural farming communities, starting in September. This initiative, titled '2026 Artificial Intelligence Access Program,' was recently announced by the government, which will be funded through the supplementary budget.

The program aims to offer AI services and educational programs to these students regardless of their economic or residential circumstances, ensuring they all have access to quality AI resources.

The program prioritizes students from vulnerable backgrounds as 'Type 1' and rural farming community students as 'Type 2.' Schools submit requests from eligible students to the Korean Scholarship Foundation between September 20 and 28. 'Type 2' students, from rural farming community schools, will be supported after 'Type 1' students are selected.

Upon selection, all schools' students will receive AI services and educational programs. The AI services provided include various paid options, such as chat-based AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini, which have filters to prevent inappropriate language.

Students who are selected will receive their AI accounts in the third week of September. To ensure safe usage, students must complete AI ethics education before accessing the services. Afterward, they will undergo step-by-step AI usage education, including learning how to use generative AI and write prompts. Throughout the academic year, students will submit usage reports based on their individual progress.

At the end of each semester, the government will measure changes in AI literacy among students to evaluate the program's impact. Minister of Education, Kyung Jin, emphasized the need for schools to support students in bridging the gap between traditional academics and AI skills, stating that the AI Oninum program aims to empower all students to thrive in the AI-driven world.