Overview
- South Korea is set to offer free access to premium generative AI for its entire population through a program called "AI for All."
- Three technology groups will deliver these services, with the government distributing up to 512 Nvidia B200 chips among them.
- Approximately two-thirds of South Koreans have engaged with AI, and around 23 million use generative tools on a regular basis.
The South Korean government has announced a groundbreaking initiative to grant all citizens complimentary access to generative AI, marking a pioneering effort by a national government to provide model access as a public utility, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
This AI technology will be integrated into government services, with potential applications including scheduling doctor appointments, finding housing, and seeking tax advice. Additionally, small businesses will have tools to manage their taxes and verify eligibility for government support, while parents will receive recommendations for educational resources for their children.
On Friday, Seoul identified three tech consortia responsible for rolling out these services, which include the nation’s two leading telecom operators and the company behind Kakao, a widely used messaging app in South Korea. Each consortium will develop a dedicated application and incorporate the AI into existing products, with no limits on usage.
The government plans to allocate up to 512 high-performance B200 chips from Nvidia to the three consortia and will assist with operational expenses. The Ministry of Science and ICT has yet to disclose the total cost of the initiative. Beta testing is scheduled to commence in September, with a full launch anticipated later this year.
Aiming for AI Independence from U.S. and Chinese Technologies
The initiative aims to reduce South Koreans' reliance on AI systems developed in the United States and China, a goal also pursued by other nations from a different perspective.
For instance, the European Commission introduced InvestAI in February 2025, aiming to mobilize $232 billion (€200 billion) across Europe, with $23 billion (€20 billion) allocated for extensive computing facilities to diminish dependence on non-EU providers. Similarly, India launched its IndiaAI Mission in March 2024 with a budget of approximately $1.25 billion, facilitating access to subsidized GPUs for startups and researchers while supporting 20 domestic AI model projects. In contrast, South Korea is providing its citizens with ready-to-use AI solutions.
Myriad: NVIDIA Lows in August? Click to make your prediction.New regulations are designed to shift this landscape. Operators are required to direct at least 50% of all queries through their own certified Korean foundation model and another 30% through models created by other domestic companies, establishing a domestic baseline of 80%. Foreign models will only be permitted when deemed essential by the ministry, and such usage will not receive any subsidy. The government has not set specific targets for adoption rates.
President Lee Jae Myung's administration has allocated approximately $7.2 billion (10 trillion won) for AI investments in 2026, which is three times the funding provided in the previous year.