South Korean AI startup Motif eliminated from national project despite top global scores

Motif, a South Korean startup, has been eliminated from the government's "National Representative AI" project, despite achieving top scores in global artificial intelligence evaluations. The project, led by the Ministry of Science and ICT, aims to develop and support domestic AI foundation models.

While Motif's AI model, 'Motif 3,' was recognized for its world-class technical capabilities, ranking 10th globally and first among domestic teams in the Artificial Analysis Intelligence Index (AAII), it did not advance. The selection committee prioritized not only technical prowess but also usability, industrial applicability, and contribution to the AI ecosystem. Other teams, Upstage, SK Telecom, and LG AI Research, were deemed stronger in these comprehensive evaluation criteria.

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Motif's technology is world-class, but other models were ahead in usability and application.

This outcome means Upstage, SK Telecom, and LG AI Research will proceed to the next phase, competing for two final positions in the national AI initiative. The government plans to provide significant GPU resources to the selected teams, underscoring its commitment to advancing South Korea's AI capabilities. Despite the setback, Motif's CEO expressed pride in demonstrating that South Korea can develop global-frontier AI models based on technical merit alone, vowing to continue their development efforts.

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Regardless of the results, we have proven that it is possible to develop global frontier-level AI models in Korea based on technology alone. We will continue to develop our models.