The Ministry of Science and ICT is launching a series of artificial intelligence (AI) initiatives with different goals and roles, yet participation remains concentrated among existing major AI companies, leading to a repetitive structure where the same firms compete across various projects.
The 'Everyone's AI' initiative, promoted by the ministry, has officially attracted participation from Kakao and LG Uplus. Other AI specialists, including Upstage, Liner, and Eastsoft, are also exploring participation either independently or in consortiums. Naver, SK Telecom (SKT), and KT are also considering involvement in related projects.
In contrast to previous government AI initiatives, the current candidates are largely returning participants rather than new entrants. The companies mentioned as potential participants in Everyone's AI include Kakao, Naver, SKT, KT, Upstage, and Conan Technology. These firms had previously served as lead organizations for the independent AI foundation model (Dopamo) initiative last year. More than half of the candidates for Everyone's AI overlap with those that supported Dopamo.
Last year, a total of 15 companies and institutions applied to be lead organizations for the Dopamo initiative. Among them, five teams, including Naver Cloud, Upstage, SKT, NC AI, and LG AI Research Institute, were selected as the initial elite teams. Companies and institutions that did not make it into the elite team later attempted to participate in the specialized AI foundation model (Teukpamo) initiative. Lunit and the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) were chosen as the final lead organizations in the medical and bio sectors, both of which had previously applied for Dopamo but were not selected as elite teams.
The repeated participation of these companies can be attributed to the limited number of domestic firms capable of developing large-scale AI models and services. To participate in government projects, companies must possess capabilities such as operating graphics processing units (GPUs), specialized personnel, experience in large model development, and the ability to form consortiums.
Lee Seung-hyun, an evangelist at Liner and former director of the AI Platform Innovation Bureau at the Digital Platform Government Committee, stated, "Only companies with GPU capabilities, research personnel, and experience in large model development can participate in government AI projects, which naturally narrows the pool of participating firms. While there are many AI companies in the U.S., only a few, such as OpenAI, Google, and Anthropic, actually lead the market."
He added, "Dopamo, Teukpamo, and Everyone's AI are not separate initiatives but rather a structure that connects foundational model development to industrial application and service expansion. As AI competition shifts from individual models to service and ecosystem competition, it is essential to nurture multiple areas together."
The Ministry of Science and ICT maintains that despite the apparent similarities between these initiatives, their policy objectives and evaluation criteria differ. For instance, Dopamo supports the development of general-purpose foundational models, while Teukpamo focuses on developing specialized AI models for specific industries such as healthcare and law.
The public AI transition (AX) aims to convert public services across various ministries to AI-based systems, while Everyone's AI focuses on building a platform that connects these AI services for public use. Each policy goal differs, from foundational model development to the expansion of services for the public.
However, it is noted that there is a need to assess the selection results and the effectiveness of support to prevent the structure of repeated funding for certain companies from becoming entrenched.
Cho Seong-bae, a professor at Yonsei University and former member of the National AI Commission, remarked, "While government initiatives clearly provide opportunities for companies, it is necessary to examine how broadly these opportunities are distributed. There may be concerns about the recurring selection of companies receiving government support."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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