Fourteen South Korean and international AI companies gathered in Seoul to participate in a pledge ceremony for responsible AI development and use.
On May 22, the AI Global Forum was held at the Korea Institute of Science and Technology (KIST) in Seongbuk-gu, Seoul. The Seoul AI Company Pledge was announced as a result of the forum. The pledge ceremony was attended by top tech giants OpenAI, Google, Microsoft Corporation, Anthropic, IBM, Salesforce, and Cohere, with South Korean companies such as Naver, Kakao, SKT, KT, LG AI Research Institute, and Samsung Electronics.
South Korea’s Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong Ho presented the pledge ceremony, and said, “The Seoul AI Company Pledge is a voluntary commitment that includes the direction that companies should pursue responsible AI development and profit sharing with companies both inside and outside of Korea.” He continued, “We will strengthen cooperation with the AI Safety Research Institute for responsible AI development and use.”
He also added, “We will take measures to identify AI-generated content such as watermarks and strengthen cooperation for the development of international standards. We promise to launch AI services for socially vulnerable groups, develop AI solutions to solve tasks, and encourage diversity and inclusiveness.”
South Korea’s Prime Minister Han Duck Soo stated in a speech, “I want to share the good news that the leaders who attended the AI Seoul Summit presented a safe, innovative, and inclusive AI Seoul Declaration last night,” adding, “The Seoul Declaration will provide a comprehensive vision for new international AI governance.”
He also emphasized, “AI safety should enable the most vulnerable people to respond to threats and challenges from new technology like AI. Technical innovation is essential to effectively solve difficult safety problems and expand accessibility.”
He continued, “Since adopting the Digital Rights Charter last year, Korea has been supporting a comprehensive digital transition in ASEAN countries through the Korea-ASEAN Digital Innovation Flagship Project. The South Korean government will continue to develop these values and principles in the field of AI technology in cooperation with companies both inside and outside of Korea”
Andrew Ng, a world-renowned scholar and professor at Stanford University, delivered a keynote speech at the AI Global Forum opening ceremony. Marc Raibert, the founder of the robotics company Boston Dynamics, also gave a keynote speech at the event.
Ng stated, “Vivid AI significantly impacts various industrial fields, including education and business law, with high-wage workers especially affected by AI automation.” He added, “Companies should educate their employees on safe and responsible use.”
He also explained, “The government should regulate the application (app), not the AI technology itself. For example, AI can create medical devices, political deep fakes, etc. However, it is not the AI technology itself but which app is good and bad should be differentiated and regulated.”
Raibert said, “We are looking forward to the day when we can train robots like we train people,” adding, “We can solve many of humanity’s problems through robots and AI.”
He continued, “It may seem like science fiction now, but in a few years, robots will be able to diagnose and modify themselves. We look forward to a prosperous society with robots.”