SEOUL - South Korea will push to develop its own version of ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot created by US-based OpenAI, Acting President Choi Sang-mok said on Thursday, pledging full-scale government support for research and development (R&D), Yonhap News reported.
Choi made the remarks during a high-level committee meeting aimed at positioning South Korea among the world's top three AI powerhouses. The committee was established to foster collaboration between the government and private sector.
"The global AI race has entered a new phase," Choi said, emphasising that major AI powerhouses have announced astronomical-scale investments in AI infrastructure.
He pointed to the emergence of DeepSeek, a large-scale AI model developed by a Chinese start-up, as both a potential risk and a new opportunity for South Korea, which is considered a latecomer in the sector.
"The government will provide full support for the development of world-class AI models," Choi said.
To bolster AI capabilities, the government plans to secure 10,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) within this year. As of the end of 2023, South Korea had approximately 2,000 GPUs, a critical component for AI development.
Choi said the government will provide large-scale GPU resources and research funding to ensure the country's leadership in AI innovation. - Bernama