South Korea to Provide Free AI Access to All Citizens
- South Korea will offer free premium generative AI access to its entire population under the “AI for All” program.
- Three tech consortia, including major telecom operators and Kakao, will provide these services.
- The government will allocate up to 512 Nvidia B200 chips among the consortia and cover some running costs.
- Currently, about a quarter of South Koreans pay for generative AI services compared to roughly only 2% of Americans.
- The initiative aims to reduce reliance on U.S. and Chinese AI models by promoting domestic alternatives.
This initiative marks the first national effort to treat AI access as a public service, with potential applications in healthcare, education, and business support integrated into government systems. The program is part of a broader strategy to enhance technological independence from foreign models.
By providing free access to generative AI tools, South Korea seeks to increase domestic usage from the current base where two-thirds have tried AI but mostly rely on foreign platforms like ChatGPT. (Source)
