▲ President Lee Jae-myung announces the 'San Francisco AI Declaration' at the San Francisco AI Summit held at The Midway in San Francisco on the 24th (local time).
President Lee Jae-myung, visiting San Francisco, USA, attended the local San Francisco AI (Artificial Intelligence) Summit.
The event was attended by major South Korean business leaders, including Samsung Electronics Chairman Lee Jae-yong, SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, Hyundai Motor Group Chairman Chung Euisun, and Naver Chairman Lee Hae-jin. Global big tech leaders were also present, including Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei, and Broadcom CEO Hock Tan.
In particular, President Lee unveiled the 'San Francisco AI Declaration', which contains South Korea's new vision for the AI era.
President Lee first stated, "South Korea will leap forward as an indispensable core country in the global AI supply chain," adding, "Based on our world-class memory semiconductor competitiveness and production capabilities, we will become a trusted AI semiconductor production base and supply chain partner."
"To this end, South Korea announced a massive investment plan last June, transitioning into a multi-polar production base system where the capital region and local provinces jointly shoulder global semiconductor supply," President Lee emphasized. "We will establish a world-class AI hub that stably supplies the core infrastructure required by the global AI ecosystem."
President Lee also explained, "Going beyond mere supply, South Korea will become a nation that utilizes AI the fastest and most effectively to create new markets for the world to grow together," adding, "We will serve as a global AI testbed and production platform where AI operates practically across manufacturing plants, cities, and logistics sites, moving beyond laboratories and digital spaces."
He also stated that South Korea will proactively play a role as a 'global hub' bridging the gap between advanced and developing countries.
"We will build horizontal cooperation networks with various countries to create a new AI market and ensure that people in more nations can participate in the opportunities of AI innovation," President Lee said. "We will be a responsible partner that grows together by sharing the opportunities and benefits of AI with the entire world, rather than achieving growth for South Korea alone."
Along the same lines, he highlighted that the benefits of AI must not remain concentrated in a specific class.
"We will create an era where AI develops more responsibly and human-centrically, and where its achievements become new opportunities for everyone," President Lee noted, introducing, "South Korea implemented the Basic AI Act last January. South Korea will build a society where no citizen is left behind even in the AI era, which we call the 'Basic AI Society'."
President Lee reflected, "San Francisco and South Korea have a lot in common. Just as San Francisco overcame the ruins of the 1906 earthquake with indomitable will and relentless challenge to become the center of global technological innovation, South Korea, which was one of the world's poorest countries after the Korean War, has positioned itself as a core nation leading the global AI ecosystem."
He added significance by stating, "Last June, a large-scale AI project investment worth 4,700 trillion won was announced to lead a new leap for the South Korean economy and the global AI industry, and today at this event, South Korean and global representative companies with a combined market capitalization exceeding 20 quadrillion won are announcing an AI investment initiative prepared with long-standing dedication to the world."
President Lee said, "Just as the Golden Gate Bridge, the symbol of San Francisco, connects the city and the world, I ask all of you leading the global AI industry to become bridges of cooperation connecting the world."
He also repeatedly referenced the popular American sitcom 'Friends' and urged, "South Korea will be your most reliable partner. Please join us in this bold challenge."
(Photo: Yonhap News)
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