Science ministry holds first AI creative contest finals for young students

The science ministry said it held the finals of its first AI Creative Contest on Oct. 24 at Kakao AI Campus.

The contest is a track of the ministry's National AI Challenge and is aimed mainly at preschoolers and elementary school students. Entrants created fairy tales, children's songs and webtoons using AI tools under the theme of "a future lived alongside AI."

Roughly 300 people, including finalists and their families, attended the on-site finals. Organizers ran sessions on AI ethics and on how to use AI tools, then had participants apply what they had learned by producing their own work. A mentor group of serving elementary school teachers was on hand to help children who were unfamiliar with the tools or with computers finish their projects.

The ministry said it created the contest to encourage children to use AI in daily life rather than only consume it, and to help them grow into people who create new things with the technology.

"The AI Creative Contest has confirmed the interest and potential that future generations have in AI," said Ryu Je-myung, the ministry's second vice minister, in remarks to the finalists. "We will continue to actively support them so they can keep building and developing those capabilities."

After the judging, families toured AI experience booths set up at the campus, the ministry said.