Interior ministry launches public-data portal pilot with AI search

The interior ministry said Monday it launched a two-month pilot of an AI-based public-data portal, moving its search service beyond keyword queries to understand questions posed in everyday language.

The ministry said demand for AI services and large volumes of traffic had prompted it to reinforce the system's stability. It installed real-time alerts for unusual API activity and blocks for blacklisted IP addresses, and plans to optimize cloud resources to keep the service running during heavy demand.

The portal uses a large language model to analyze users' questions and recommend relevant data. The ministry began a full upgrade of the portal in October 2024; more than 90,000 public-data items were available when the project began, it said.

New features include a redesigned user interface and experience, Any-ID, the government's integrated login system; Quick Summary, an AI guide to using data; and Data Curation, which recommends information related to current issues. It also includes AI-generated data descriptions and dashboards for statistical analysis and visualization.

To consolidate public-data disclosure and sharing channels, the ministry is preparing links with the National Shared Data Platform. It has expanded API-based links to individual portals and automated data-list maintenance. Users can search for and use data through a single window.

The ministry said it will gather feedback from the field during the pilot and continue to optimize the service.

"We will actively support efforts to guarantee the public's right to use public data and enable companies to create innovative services," Hwang Gyu-cheol, head of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety's AI Government Office, said.