The South Korean strategy starts from a concern that more and more Governments share: depending completely on foreign companies to access a strategic technology like artificial intelligence can become a problem. If a company controls an artificial intelligence model, it can also determine its prices, conditions of use, availability, and characteristics. For a country that intends to use artificial intelligence in industry, public administration, and education, having its own alternatives can offer greater decision-making capacity regarding the development and utilization of this technology. For that reason, South Korea is promoting what is known as sovereign artificial intelligence, with the objective of strengthening its own capacity in artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sovereignty in artificial intelligence does not necessarily mean developing every technological component within national borders. Current artificial intelligence models depend on international hardware, software, research, and supply chains, so absolute independence in artificial intelligence turns out to be difficult to achieve. The objective is to have sufficient national artificial intelligence models, researchers, infrastructure, and companies to reduce dependence on foreign providers of this technology. In this way, South Korea could continue using international artificial intelligence technologies when they are convenient, but it would have its own alternatives for artificial intelligence applications considered strategic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The country has some important advantages in trying to achieve this. South Korea is a world power in semiconductors and possesses technological companies with enormous economic resources and research capacity, fundamental elements for the development of artificial intelligence. Samsung and SK Hynix stand out especially in the manufacturing of memory used in artificial intelligence systems, while companies like Naver, LG, SK Telecom, and Kakao have experience in digital services and technological platforms related to artificial intelligence. These strengths do not guarantee that the country is going to develop the best artificial intelligence models in the world, but they provide a considerable industrial base to compete in the growing sector of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most striking part of the new strategy is the program known as \"AI for All.\" The project seeks for citizens to be able to use artificial intelligence services for free, without having to individually contract the subscriptions that many commercial artificial intelligence platforms offer. To achieve this, the South Korean government has selected consortia headed by large national companies like SK Telecom, KT, and Kakao. These groups will have to develop artificial intelligence services capable of reaching a large number of users and, at the same time, contribute to the growth of artificial intelligence models developed in South Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The announced objective is to facilitate access to artificial intelligence as if it were a general-use digital infrastructure. This could allow people who would never pay a subscription to an artificial intelligence service to have access to tools to study, draft documents, search for information, or perform certain tasks. It is also intended that these artificial intelligence technologies can be integrated into services habitually used by citizens. The project is in a phase of development and deployment, so its definitive results will still have to be verified through its utilization on a large scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The proposal turns out to be especially interesting because it is not limited to offering a chatbot. South Korea wants to use artificial intelligence to facilitate access to different digital and public services. Among the raised uses appear tasks related to medical reservations, tax information, housing, education, and assistance for small businesses, areas in which artificial intelligence could facilitate certain procedures. If these artificial intelligence systems end up working as planned, a citizen could formulate a request in natural language and receive help to complete processes that currently require visiting different pages or performing numerous steps.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The program also has an industrial purpose. The government does not want to limit itself to paying for citizens to use artificial intelligence models created by foreign companies, because that would increase access to AI but would not resolve technological dependence. Therefore, the participating services must use national artificial intelligence models in a significant proportion. The initiative establishes requirements so that a significant part of the technology used comes from artificial intelligence models developed in South Korea.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This condition can become one of the most important elements of the project. The State thus creates an initial demand for national companies that develop artificial intelligence models. Companies can obtain experience with millions of users and use that environment to improve their artificial intelligence systems. At the same time, citizens become users of national artificial intelligence technologies that otherwise would have difficulties competing against international platforms with much larger budgets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The government also intends to avoid that all artificial intelligence infrastructure ends up concentrated in a single company. Part of the computer resources provided by the State must be used to support artificial intelligence models developed by different national companies. This policy seeks to favor a broader and more competitive ecosystem of artificial intelligence. If it works, South Korea could end up with several companies capable of developing artificial intelligence models and applications, instead of depending on a single national provider.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Developing advanced artificial intelligence is extremely costly. Large artificial intelligence models need enormous amounts of data, specialized researchers, and a computer infrastructure capable of performing operations at a scale that few companies can afford. OpenAI, Google, Anthropic, and other companies have invested thousands of millions of dollars in artificial intelligence research, data centers, and processors. South Korea will have to make a considerable effort to approach that level of capacity in the development of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the country does not necessarily need to surpass all those companies in every aspect. A national artificial intelligence could be useful even if it did not obtain the world first place in every artificial intelligence test. The advantage could be found in its capacity to better understand the Korean language, adapt to national institutions, and connect with services that a foreign artificial intelligence model cannot offer directly. It could also provide companies and public agencies with greater control over where data is processed and how artificial intelligence technology is used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Competition, therefore, does not have to consist solely of creating a smarter artificial intelligence model. It can also be based on developing artificial intelligence systems more specialized and adapted to certain needs. An artificial intelligence that perfectly understands the legislation, administrative procedures, and linguistic characteristics of South Korea could turn out to be more useful for certain tasks than an international model slightly superior in general knowledge. The true test will be to check if users find enough advantages in these artificial intelligence services to use them habitually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Artificial intelligence does not function solely thanks to software. Artificial intelligence models need large amounts of computing capacity both during their training and when millions of users simultaneously use these services. This obliges having specialized processors, high-performance memory, data centers, fast networks, and cooling systems. South Korea has recognized this necessity and is making important investments in infrastructure related to artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The national program contemplates providing computing resources to the selected consortia. Among the considered hardware are advanced Nvidia processors specifically destined for artificial intelligence workloads. The availability of this equipment can determine how many users the artificial intelligence services can attend and which models can be trained within the country. Without sufficient computing capacity, even a technically excellent artificial intelligence model would have difficulties functioning at a national scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Here appears one of the paradoxes of South Korean technological sovereignty. South Korea possesses one of the most important semiconductor industries in the world, but it continues to need components developed by foreign companies for its artificial intelligence infrastructure. Nvidia processors are an evident example of this technological dependence in the development of artificial intelligence. For that reason, technological sovereignty must be understood as a reduction of critical dependencies and not as absolute independence from the international artificial intelligence industry.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The growth of artificial intelligence is also provoking a new concern: electricity consumption. Data centers need large amounts of energy to power the processors used by artificial intelligence and maintain them at adequate temperatures. If South Korea intends to offer free artificial intelligence services to millions of people and, furthermore, expand its artificial intelligence research capabilities, it will have to build an energy infrastructure capable of sustaining that growth. The situation is even more complex because the country also possesses a huge semiconductor manufacturing industry that provides fundamental components for artificial intelligence and requires a stable electrical supply.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The forecasts disclosed during 2026 point to a strong increase in energy demand related to artificial intelligence and semiconductors. South Korean authorities have indicated that this growth could require a major expansion of electrical generation capacity. This turns energy into an essential part of the artificial intelligence strategy, since artificial intelligence models need data centers that function constantly. It is not enough to have artificial intelligence models and advanced processors if there is not enough electricity to keep the data centers functioning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The problem demonstrates that artificial intelligence has consequences that go far beyond computers. To build a national artificial intelligence infrastructure, buildings, electrical grids, cooling systems, high-speed connections, and specialized personnel are also necessary. All these elements have economic and environmental costs that must be considered when the use of artificial intelligence is expanded. For that reason, the promise of free artificial intelligence for citizens does not mean that the technology is free in real terms, but rather that a part of the costs of artificial intelligence will be assumed through public and private resources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The word \"free\" can turn out to be misleading if it is interpreted as an absence of costs. Artificial intelligence models require constant investments, and their functioning generates expenses every time a user makes a query to an artificial intelligence system. If millions of people use the system every day, those costs can reach very high amounts and increase as the use of artificial intelligence grows. In the case of South Korea, the State intends to facilitate access to artificial intelligence through financing and computing resources, but the maintenance of the infrastructure will continue to have a price.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The difference lies in who assumes that cost. Instead of each citizen directly paying a subscription to use an artificial intelligence service, a significant part of the financing proceeds from the public budget and participating companies. The model looks more like that of a subsidized artificial intelligence digital infrastructure than that of a completely free commercial product. This distinction will be important when the economic sustainability of the artificial intelligence project is evaluated.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It will also have to be observed whether access to artificial intelligence will truly be unlimited in practice. An artificial intelligence service can be advertised as free and, at the same time, establish certain technical conditions related to capacity, speed, or the type of available functions. The available information about the project poses broad access to artificial intelligence, but the concrete details of each user's experience will depend on the final deployment. Therefore, it would be premature to affirm that all citizens will be able to indefinitely use national artificial intelligence without any type of restriction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The utilization of artificial intelligence in public services also introduces important questions about privacy. Citizens could use these artificial intelligence systems to talk about personal matters, prepare documents, consult economic information, or manage certain procedures. All that information must be adequately protected to avoid leaks and improper uses related to artificial intelligence. That an artificial intelligence system is national does not automatically guarantee greater privacy, since this depends on the rules and the technological architecture used.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Security will also be fundamental when artificial intelligence systems are connected with public services. A mistake in an informal conversation can turn out to be annoying, but an artificial intelligence error in a system related to taxes, benefits, or administrative procedures can have real consequences. For that reason, artificial intelligence should not automatically substitute human supervision in important matters. It will be necessary to establish mechanisms to review artificial intelligence responses, correct errors, and allow citizens to resort to a person when the artificial intelligence system is not sufficient.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Although the project is usually presented as a way to reduce dependence on companies like OpenAI and Google, it would be incorrect to interpret it as an attempt to expel foreign technologies from the South Korean market. South Korea continues collaborating with international companies, and its enterprises use artificial intelligence technologies developed outside the country. The strategy seems oriented principally to guarantee that national artificial intelligence alternatives exist. In this way, the country can choose between different artificial intelligence providers depending on the needs of each situation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This diversification can be especially important for public administrations. A government that depends completely on a foreign artificial intelligence company has less margin to negotiate prices, conditions, and service characteristics. If it disposes of competitive national artificial intelligence models, it can use them when convenient and resort to international providers in other cases. Competition between different artificial intelligence technologies could also benefit companies and consumers.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The South Korean approach forms part of a broader international trend. Europe, the United States, China, and other countries and regions are developing different policies to strengthen their artificial intelligence capabilities. Some concentrate on artificial intelligence models, others on semiconductors, data centers, or the regulation of this technology. South Korea is attempting to address several of these elements simultaneously to strengthen its position in the development of artificial intelligence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n South Korea is betting on an artificial intelligence strategy that combines technological policy, industrial investment, and public access. The \"AI for All\" program aims to provide free artificial intelligence services to citizens, while the State uses that demand to boost artificial intelligence models developed within the country itself. Large companies like SK Telecom, KT, and Kakao participate in the project, while South Korea takes advantage of its strengths in semiconductors, telecommunications, and digital technology. The objective is not simply to create a competitor to ChatGPT, but to build a national ecosystem capable of developing, executing, and applying artificial intelligence on a large scale.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The initiative also demonstrates that so-called technological sovereignty has limits. South Korea will continue depending on international components and technologies, including specialized processors and software tools. For that reason, its objective seems to be to reduce the most important dependencies and have its own alternatives, not to completely isolate itself from the world market. In a sector as internationalized as artificial intelligence, that capacity for choice can be more realistic and useful than trying to achieve absolute independence.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The project will have to overcome numerous obstacles. The cost of data centers, electricity consumption, user privacy, security, and the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence models will be permanent challenges. In addition, it remains to be verified whether national solutions will manage to offer sufficient quality to compete with international services. Free access may attract users initially, but keeping them will depend on the artificial intelligence tools being fast, useful, reliable, and capable of solving real problems.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For now, the most important thing is that South Korea has decided to treat artificial intelligence as a strategic infrastructure and not solely as a commercial product. If it manages to develop competitive models and put them within reach of its entire population, it could become an example for other countries that seek to reduce their technological dependence. The South Korean experience will allow observing to what extent a State can use public investment to build a national alternative in one of the technologies that will likely have the greatest influence on the economy and society during the coming decades.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If your company seeks to take advantage of the opportunities of artificial intelligence and digital transformation, ITD Consulting can help you identify and implement technological solutions adapted to your needs. To know their services, you can write to<\/strong> info@itdconsulting.com<\/strong><\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Corea del Sur y su apuesta por una inteligencia artificial nacional y gratuita. TD Consulting te brinda toda la informaci\u00f3n de esta iniciativa.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":5,"featured_media":37154,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[459,71,376,89,248,68],"class_list":["post-37150","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-noticias","tag-459","tag-ciberseguridad","tag-corea-del-sur","tag-ia","tag-inteligencia-artificial","tag-seguridad"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37150","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=37150"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37150\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":37155,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/37150\/revisions\/37155"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/37154"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=37150"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=37150"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=37150"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"Corea](\"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/itd-consulting-backup-acronis-vds-vps-ciberseguridad-microsoft-365-Corea-IA-1-1024x768.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe \"AI for All\" program<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
National models as a requirement<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
The enormous difficulty of competing with large companies<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Hardware is also fundamental<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"ITD](\"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/itd-consulting-backup-acronis-vds-vps-ciberseguridad-microsoft-365-Corea-IA-2-1024x576.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe energy problem<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
What does it really mean for AI to be free?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Privacy and Security<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
A strategy that goes beyond OpenAI and Google<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"Apuesta](\"https:\/\/itdconsulting.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/itd-consulting-backup-acronis-vds-vps-ciberseguridad-microsoft-365-Corea-IA-3-1024x683.webp\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\n