SEOUL-South Korea plans to give its entire population free access to generative AI services, the first major state-led offering treating the technology akin to a public utility.
The program seeks to connect more South Koreans to homegrown AI chatbots with the goal of advancing the country's push for AI sovereignty. By giving premium-level AI services free to its citizens, South Korean officials hope to avoid an overreliance on models from the U.S. and China.
The AI tools will be linked directly to government systems and allow South Koreans to book doctor's appointments, receive help with apartment hunting or get tax advice. Small businesses will be able to tabulate their taxes and check their eligibility for government-support programs, and parents will receive suggested educational content for their children.
On Friday, Seoul said three tech consortia will provide the public services for the government's "AI for All" initiative. The chosen groups include the country's two largest telecom companies and the operator of Kakao, South Korea's so-called "everything app."
The free AI program starts beta testing in September. A full rollout will occur later this year.
The South Korean government, for its part, will split among the three tech consortia up to 512 of Nvidia's high-end B200 chips and help cover finance operational expenses. The precise cost of the "AI for All" program wasn't immediately disclosed by South Korea's Ministry of Science and ICT.
South Korea is one of the world's most active and lucrative markets for AI chatbots. Around a quarter of South Koreans pay for generative AI, according to a government survey earlier this year. In contrast, about 2% of Americans pay, according to a PNC Bank survey this year.
More than 20 million South Koreans use free versions of generative AI, Seoul officials estimate. The "AI for All" initiative doesn't have a target figure for uptake, though is aimed at use by the general public, a science ministry spokeswoman said.
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's administration has set aside roughly 10 trillion won, or about $7.2 billion, for AI-related spending in 2026, tripling over the prior year.
Koreans will have unlimited tokens, or usage, for the government-supported AI services. Each consortium plans to release a new app for accessing their AI service, while also incorporating AI into its existing tools for ease of access.