Source: Government of the Republic of Korea
San Francisco Declaration on Artificial Intelligence By President Lee Jae Myung
Distinguished business leaders and innovators from around the world,
Here today in San Francisco – the heart of global innovation – I would like to share with the world the Republic of Korea’s vision for a new era of artificial intelligence.
In this very place, where the future we once imagined takes shape faster than anywhere else, small ideas have grown into world-changing innovations. These innovations have not just brought about new industries but also helped transform human civilization.
San Francisco and the Republic of Korea have much in common. Rising from the devastation of the Great Earthquake of 1906, San Francisco became a global center of technological innovation through its indomitable spirit and relentless pursuit of new challenges. In much the same way, the Republic of Korea – one of the world’s poorest countries after the Korean War – built itself into an information technology powerhouse through its people’s determination and hard work. Today, Korea plays a pivotal role in the global AI ecosystem.
Although Samsung Electronics was a latecomer in the semiconductor industry, it has become a leader in the global memory chip market. SK Hynix overcame intense technological competition to secure the top spot in high-bandwidth memory. Recently, the company was successfully listed on the Nasdaq.
Last June, a plan to invest about 4,700 trillion won in an AI megaproject was announced. It is an initiative that will help take the Korean economy and global AI industry alike to new heights.
And here today in San Francisco, I am pleased to announce a major AI investment initiative that leading Korean and multinational companies – with a combined valuation of over 20 quadrillion won – have forged over time through a shared vision.
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the business leaders of both the Republic of Korea and the United States who are joining us in this bold undertaking.
The AI revolution is no longer a story of the future. It is a reality here and now that we are all creating together. AI is no longer bound by a single technology or single industry.
We have entered an era in which competitiveness hinges not merely on developing more sophisticated software algorithms, but on securing greater computing power, guaranteeing a stable energy supply, integrating vast amounts of data and rapidly deploying these capabilities across industry and daily life.
Even the world’s most advanced AI model cannot function without a stable supply of cutting-edge semiconductors. In turn, even the most advanced semiconductor can create new value only if AI demand is strong.
In the AI era, technology and production capacity, data and energy, markets and talent are all linked through a single vast supply chain. Building a resilient supply chain is one of the main challenges we must address together.
At the same time, we face a number of fundamental questions. How can we move beyond simply making AI more intelligent and apply it rapidly across industry and everyday life to create new markets?
How can we build an AI ecosystem that is not confined to just one country, but a huge global AI market in which all nations can participate?
And how can we ensure that AI is developed based on human-centered values and that its benefits are equitably distributed?
These challenges cannot be overcome through fierce competition alone. They are the defining challenge of our time, and we must address them through global cooperation, pooling our respective strengths while continuing to lead in technology.
Here today, I would like to present the Republic of Korea’s vision for the future of AI and propose a cooperative global framework to help turn that vision into reality.
First, the Republic of Korea will emerge as an irreplaceable pillar of the global AI supply chain.
Building on our world-class competitiveness in memory chips and related production capacity, Korea will serve as a trusted manufacturing base for AI semiconductors and as a reliable supply chain partner. We will help ensure that companies worldwide can build resilient AI infrastructure and continue pursuing technological innovation under any circumstances.
To drive this vision forward, Korea unveild a landmark investment plan June. We are now establishing a multi-hub production network, enabling both the Seoul metropolitan area and local provinces to jointly ensure a stable global supply of semiconductors.
This domestic supply chain will act as a national safeguard that ensures uninterrupted semiconductor production through any crisis. It is also a responsible investment by the Republic of Korea to prevent future global chip shortages.
Beyond semiconductors, we will establish a world-class AI hub capable of reliably providing the core infrastructure needed by the global AI ecosystem. This hub will connect data centers – the brains of AI – with physical AI systems that bring AI into the real world.
Building on Korea’s resilient supply chain, we will provide steadfast support so that all of you can pursue even bolder innovation and drive the global AI revolution forward.
Second, the Republic of Korea will not only supply AI infrastructure, but will also become the nation that utilizes AI most rapidly and effectively, creating new markets that will foster shared global growth.
The Republic of Korea has unique strengths in the AI era. We have world-class manufacturing competitiveness, advanced digital infrastructure and a dynamic AI ecosystem. Above all, our companies and citizens are the fastest to embrace new technologies and are among the first to apply them across industry and everyday life.
The Republic of Korea will become a nation that deploys AI most rapidly at industrial sites, in public services and in every area of daily life – thereby generating new demand and creating new markets.
The Republic of Korea will become a global AI test bed and production platform, moving beyond laboratories and digital spaces and adopting AI in the real world, including in manufacturing plants, in cities and at logistics centers.
Through the AI production platform built by the Republic of Korea, AI will be developed and verified faster and broadly applied at various industrial sites.
The data accumulated through this process will enhance the performance and reliability of AI systems, and more advanced AI systems will, in turn, improve industrial productivity and people’s lives, thereby creating a virtuous cycle.
Through this virtuous cycle, the Republic of Korea will present a new global model for innovation, in which the utilization of AI keeps pace with its development.
Toward the end of this year, we will launch the “AI for All” project, involving all 50 million of our citizens. By actively integrating AI into daily life and public services – from administration and welfare through to education – we will build the world’s most dynamic AI market.
Not only will this drive the Republic of Korea’s growth – it will also serve as a new engine for demand, spearheading the advancement of the entire global AI ecosystem.
I invite you to choose Korea as your stage for innovation and investment – the place where your technologies and ideas can become reality faster than anywhere else. Korea’s people and businesses will be your most reliable partners.
Third, the Republic of Korea will become a global hub, helping expand the AI market worldwide.
We will not stop with the mere use of AI. By building horizontal partnerships with various nations, we will create new AI markets and open opportunities for people in more countries to take part in AI innovation.
Our cooperation must not be confined to technologically advanced nations alone. Nor should our support for developing countries merely involve narrowing the AI divide. It must be an investment in the shared prosperity of a global AI ecosystem, involving the cultivation of talented individuals, birth of new ideas and creation of new services and markets.
Guided by the vision of “AI for All, AI for Solving Global Challenges,” the Korean government has recently been partnering with international organizations to advance the Global AI Hub initiative.
Leveraging its accumulated AI infrastructure and technological capabilities, the Republic of Korea will further expand its cooperation with countries and businesses in order to help develop and deploy AI tools suited to each country’s language, culture and industrial environment.
Rather than seeking growth for Korea alone, we will be a responsible partner – sharing the opportunities and benefits of AI to grow together with the world.
I invite all of you, global business leaders, to take an active part in this significant journey.
Fourth, we will usher in an era of AI that is more responsible and human-centered, ensuring that the breakthroughs create new opportunities for all.
Last January, Korea enacted its Framework Act on AI. We hope to share with the global community our efforts to ensure that safe, trustworthy AI systems are practically deployed in industry and people’s daily lives.
Here in San Francisco, a city where the legacy of human-centered innovation lives on, I invite the international community to cooperate on achieving a future of harmonious coexistence and joint growth between humans and AI.
Even as we foster dynamic innovation, Korea is actively deliberating on a new model of distribution – to ensure that AI’s benefits reach every corner of society, not just a privileged few. For the future of AI cannot be solely defined by technological advances and economic growth.
No country has a complete answer yet. That is why Korea also aims to deliberate, experiment and seek out new solutions alongside the international community.
In the era of AI, Korea will build a society where the fundamental rights of every citizen – from education to healthcare – are guaranteed even more soundly, and where no one is left behind, including small and medium-sized enterprises, microbusiness owners and the vulnerable. We call this the “AI Universal Basic Society.”
As a responsible nation, we will fulfill our duty by helping this philosophy of the AI Universal Basic Society take root in the international community.
Over the years, the Republic of Korea has achieved its success by rapidly catching up with the world’s leading nations. Going forward, Korea aspires to take the lead in presenting a vision for the future of AI, join forces with the rest of the world and help build a better future for humanity.
The Republic of Korea will become a global AI production base and a fertile place for innovation. It will rise as an irreplaceable global hub for AI cooperation where technology, capital, talent and ideas from around the world converge.
Just as San Francisco’s iconic Golden Gate Bridge spans the bay to bridge this city to the world and has paved the way for economic prosperity, I ask you – the leaders of the global AI industry – to become the bridges that link the world. Join the Republic of Korea in forging the bold future of AI that you envision.
I assure you that the Republic of Korea will be your most steadfast partner.
Distinguished business leaders and innovators from around the world,
Back in the 1990s, the world fell in love with the U.S. sitcom Friends. Its theme song includes the lyric “I’ll be there for you, cause you’re there for me too.”
When we stand together, AI becomes a beacon of hope for more people, opening the door to a greater, brighter tomorrow. I invite each and every one of you to join us in shaping a future of AI that truly serves us all.
Thank you.