Kakao, SK Telecom, KT Selected for Nationwide Free AI Service Project

South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT has announced the selection of three major tech companies, Kakao, SK Telecom, and KT, as the primary contractors for the ambitious 'Everyone's AI' project. This initiative aims to democratize artificial intelligence by offering free, unlimited access to AI services for the entire nation.

The government plans to launch a general-purpose AI chatbot service by the end of this year, with a beta version scheduled for late September and the official service rollout in December. This service will be accessible to all citizens without any usage restrictions, leveraging domestically developed AI models.

Kakao's consortium includes prominent partners such as LG Uplus, LG AI Research, LG Electronics, and LG CNS, alongside companies like Day1Company, Lunit, Seoul National University Hospital, Shinhan Bank, WorkSphere, WonderfulPlatform, Jarvis & Villains, Kakao Enterprise, CrowdWorks, and FuriosaAI.

SK Telecom has formed a consortium with specialists including Liner, Shinhan Card, Hana Card, TMAP Mobility, SK Broadband, PersonaAI, Ellise Group, Goodoc/Soundable Health, Nota/Selects, and Aimintelligence, covering a wide range of expertise.

KT's consortium is equally robust, featuring companies like Daum, DeepSearch, Lablup, Rebellion, Mathpresso, Motif Technologies, Musinsa, Vesl AI Korea, BC Card, Saltlux, Action Power, Upstage, NC AI, Zigbang, ConnectWave, and EBS (Educational Broadcasting System).

These selected consortia are tasked with developing not only the general-purpose AI chatbot but also public AI agents and specialized AI agents tailored for specific sectors, all built upon South Korea's own AI models. The project signifies a major push towards national AI competitiveness and accessibility.

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Free AI service for the entire nation with no usage limits... Background of launch within the year.