Seoul, South Korea – South Korea has officially opened the AI Safety Research Institute, a dedicated research organization aimed at ensuring the safe and reliable use of artificial intelligence (AI).

The Ministry of Science and ICT held an opening ceremony for the institute on November 27th at the Pangyo Global R&D Center in Seongnam, Gyeonggi-do. The institute will systematically address potential risks associated with AI, such as technical limitations, misuse of AI technology by humans, and loss of control over AI.

The institute will serve as a hub for collaboration and information exchange among academia, industry, and research institutions in the field of AI safety. Additionally, it will participate in the International AI Safety Research Network, which currently includes 10 countries, including the United States and Japan.

Yoshua Bengio, a global advisory committee member of the National AI Committee and a renowned AI scholar at the University of Montreal, Canada, delivered a video message emphasizing the institute's role in conducting research on AI risk assessment methods in collaboration with the industry, supporting the establishment of AI safety requirements for various industries, and fostering international cooperation to harmonize AI safety systems.

Kim Myung-joo, director of the AI Safety Research Institute, stated, "The institute will not function as a regulatory body but rather as a collaborative organization that supports domestic AI companies in minimizing risks that could hinder their global competitiveness."

Following the opening ceremony, a memorandum of understanding (MOU) was signed for the "Republic of Korea AI Safety Consortium." This consortium, comprising 24 organizations including major domestic companies such as Naver, KT, Kakao, LG AI Research, SKT, and Samsung Electronics, will collaborate on policy research, evaluation, and research and development related to AI safety.

Yoo Sang-im, Minister of Science and ICT, stated, "Over the past year, major countries including the United States, the United Kingdom, Japan, Singapore, and Canada have all established AI safety research institutes, and an international AI safety cooperation system has been established. The Ministry will actively support the AI Safety Research Institute to develop into a leading AI safety research hub in the Asia-Pacific region."

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