Science ministry forms public-private panel for national AI safety plan

South Korea's science ministry said it has formed a public-private working group to draw up a national master plan for building an AI safety ecosystem, with the panel to begin full operations in October.

The Ministry of Science and ICT said the group of about 25 members will review the draft plan's three main strategies and identify new tasks that reflect global AI safety policy and industry trends. Members include the ministry, the National AI Strategy Committee, AI safety-related agencies, domestic and foreign AI companies and associations, and experts in AI technology and law. Industry participants — major Korean AI companies, global AI firms, small and medium-sized enterprises, startups and industry associations — will share their experience from AI development and deployment, while related agencies and experts will offer views on technology, policy and legislation.

The draft plan's three strategies are building a national AI safety management system, strengthening response capabilities for advanced AI risks, and creating a safe AI environment in everyday life.

The ministry expects to finalize the master plan by December after reviewing the opinions raised by the working group and consulting with other government departments.

Lee Jin-su, director general of AI policy planning at the ministry, said the country has laid the groundwork for balancing AI innovation and safety, including through enforcement of the AI Basic Act, but now needs to strengthen its national capacity to respond to advanced AI risks.

"We will prepare effective measures to build a national AI safety ecosystem that reflect on-site acceptance and global AI safety policy and technology trends," he said.

The ministry has been drafting a government-level AI safety master plan on the view that accelerating AI innovation must go hand in hand with a stronger safety and trust foundation to realize its goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers, it said. It held a consultation meeting in February to collect opinions for the plan.

The latest push to gather industry and expert input follows rapid changes in the AI technology and industry environment, including the realization of risks from cutting-edge AI, the ministry said.