Korea to invest $2.86 bil. for new national AI computing center

Science Minister Yoo Sang-im speaks during a meeting at the Korea Semiconductor Industry Association in Seongnam, Gyeonggi Province, Nov. 27. Yonhap Korea will invest a combined 4 trillion won ($2.

86 billion) in creating a national artificial intelligence (AI) computing center as part of efforts to strengthen the country's competitiveness in the fast-evolving technology, government officials said Wednesday. The announcement was made in a meeting of economy-related ministers, including Science Minister Yoo Sang-im, aimed at enhancing the global competitiveness of local industries, according to the officials from the science ministry. The move is aimed at securing advanced graphic processing units (GPUs), which play a crucial role in AI, to help local companies and researchers in the field.



Korea had about 2,000 H100 GPUs, developed by AI chip giant Nvidia, as of end-2023, while global big techs, such as Meta Platforms and Microsoft, own some 150,000 units each. The ministry officials said the government will begin purchasing GPUs even before the envisioned national AI computing center sets sail to swiftly build up the country's AI infrastructure. It also plans to create an exclusive loan program for AI firms under the 14 trillion-won policy financing program designed to offer low-interest loans to semiconductor manufacturers.

According to the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation, Korea's technology level in AI fell to 88.9 points in 2022 from 89.1 points the previous year, with that of the United States set at 100 to serve as a benchmark.

To narrow the gap, Seoul established a national AI committee led by the president in September, and has increased the budget for the technology next year to 1.8 trillion won from 1.4 trillion won in 2024.

(Yonhap).