Yoon encourages government to adopt latest AI technologies

Government meeting on Friday with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel Management [Photo by Lee Seung-hwan]

President Yoon Suk-yeol has encouraged the government to adopt new artificial intelligence technologies at a government meeting on Friday with the Ministry of Interior, the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs and the Ministry of Personnel Management.

Commenting on a recent Maeil Business Newspaper article about the new AI-driven software ChatGPT, and on news about the AI chatbot passing the entrance exam for Wharton School’s MBA program, Yoon requested that the Ministry of Interior play a lead role for government officials in adopting and using such new technologies.

The president highlighted the AI bot’s efficiency by sharing an old anecdote about government officials working overtime because a new minister started. “With AI-based technologies like ChatGPT, officials would not need to work overtime,” Yoon said. “I hope the Ministry of Interior plays a lead role in studying and adopting these new technologies, so that our officials will not need to waste time on unnecessary work, but will be able to focus their time on services that the public actually needs.”

The president has been keen on cutting-edge technology, and such interest has been noted in his footsteps. During a visit to New York last year, the president remarked on the significance of digital technology, and following the remarks, he announced a new national digital road map in Gwangju, unveiling his ambition for Korea to become one of the global AI leaders. More recently, after a recent visit to Switzerland where he sat down with a group of renowned quantum physicists, the president also spoke about his enthusiasm to develop a “national quantum strategy.”