South Korea’s $7B AI Push Marred by Code Controversy
South Korea is betting big on artificial intelligence, with President Lee Jae Myung tripling AI investment to $6.9 billion as part of a broader 727.9 trillion won budget for 2026. The MOVE positions AI as the cornerstone of the country's future economic competitiveness.
A government-led competition to develop homegrown AI technology has hit a snag. Three of the five finalists have been accused of using foreign code—including Chinese-origin algorithms—in their systems. This undermines Seoul's goal of technological independence from dominant US and Chinese AI platforms.
The participating companies argue that reinventing foundational AI technology from scratch is impractical. Critics counter that reliance on foreign code defeats the purpose of Korea's sovereign AI initiative. The controversy highlights the challenges of achieving true technological self-sufficiency in an interconnected digital landscape.
