Team Naver and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) are embarking on the development of defense-specific artificial intelligence (AI) based on domestic technology. The two companies will jointly develop a dedicated AI foundation model and a physical AI platform for future combat systems, aiming to implement sovereign AI in the defense sector.
Naver announced on July 7 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Naver Cloud and KAI to collaborate on the development of defense-specific AI models and physical AI-based future combat system platforms.
The signing ceremony took place on July 6 at KAI's headquarters in Sacheon, attended by key executives including Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yoo-won, and KAI President Kim Jong-chul.
Through this collaboration, the three parties plan to combine Team Naver's AI capabilities with KAI's aerospace and defense system integration expertise to jointly develop an AI foundation model optimized for the defense sector. They will also establish a cooperative framework that spans technology development, validation, and commercialization.
In particular, the initiative aims to reduce reliance on foreign AI technologies and implement sovereign AI tailored to the domestic security environment, thereby enhancing technological independence and security competitiveness in the defense sector.
The two companies will begin with the development of the defense-specific AI foundation model and will also participate jointly in government-led national research and development (R&D) projects and block funding initiatives. This collaboration is intended to secure core technologies for next-generation defense physical AI and establish a foundation for civil-military cooperation leading to subsequent commercialization.
Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver, stated, "Technological independence in the defense and security sectors is directly linked to national sovereignty, making the establishment of an independent sovereign AI infrastructure crucial. By combining Team Naver's AI capabilities with KAI's defense expertise, we aim to strengthen South Korea's technological sovereignty in defense security and enhance the global competitiveness of the future defense industry."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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