AI access is now basic right, presidential aide says

Artificial intelligence (AI) should be treated as a basic right rather than a luxury, the top presidential aide said Tuesday, as the government unveiled plans to expand public access to AI through free access to essential services while strengthening Korea’s domestic AI ecosystem.

Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom made the remarks as the Ministry of Science and ICT fleshed out details of its “AI for Everyone” initiative, which aims to provide all citizens with free access to essential AI services built primarily on Korean-developed models.

Kim argued that access to AI will increasingly determine opportunities for education, work and economic growth, making it a matter of public policy rather than simply technological advancement.

“Access to AI should now be regarded as a basic right,” Kim wrote in a Facebook post titled, “In the AI era, the state organizes the market.

“As AI becomes a force that determines people’s opportunities and growth, it is the state’s responsibility to ensure that no citizen is left standing outside that door,” he said.

Kim sa ...