- Mutual Collaboration for AI joint research, verification for AI, digital health -
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Minister: Lee Jong-Ho) and Singapore's Ministry of Communications and Information (MCI, Minister: Josephine Teo) held the Korea-Singapore AI Collaboration at COEX, Seoul on December 6, 2022, to establish stronger ties in Artificial Intelligence advancement for both countries.
“The Digital Strategy of Korea” is the plan to specifically implement the New York Initiative announced on September 21 by President Yoon Suk-Yeol. This strategy presents a vision of digital innovation and a new digital system. It launches specific and practical agendas for AI development in terms of cooperation with Singapore, a significant country in the ASEAN Economic Community.
The "Korea-Singapore AI Collaboration" presented a wide range of strategic activities: ▲ sharing AI policy directions like ‘National AI Strategy’ ▲ implementing joint research to use AI for green and energy-efficient buildings ▲ interchanging technologies and licensing measures to advance the digital health industry ▲ cooperating for trustworthy AI verification to enhance the safety and reliability of AI and ▲ signing MOU for cooperation in AI domain. Specific plans for AI cooperative projects between those two countries are as follows.
[Strengthening AI Collaboration and signing MOU]
Korea and Singapore shared the responsibility and value in the digital domain to enhance the universal values of humankind, and agreed to strengthen capabilities together through specific cooperative projects based on the potential of AI technology that triggers social and economic benefits.
Accordingly, the two countries agreed on the significance of the national strategy and international cooperation to secure AI technology, foster industrial sectors, and pull together to develop a joint realization plan in AI convergence technology.
First, the two countries enhanced the “Korea-Singapore AI Collaboration”. They jointly launched cooperative projects to implement its agenda and signed an MOU in the AI domain to expand cooperation areas such as adopting AI ethics and governance, fostering AI talent and startups, and promoting AI and data as joint projects.
| [ Korea-Singapore AI Collaboration & AI MOU Signing ] o Signees: Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT of the Republic of Korea and Minister of the Ministry of Communication and Information of Singapore o Cooperation activities: ① Application of AI ethics and governance, ②AI startups, entrepreneurship and innovation, ③fostering AI talent, ④establishing a multi-party innovation test bed ⑤ verification system and AI data joint project |
[AI Joint Research]
Both countries put great importance on digital technologies, such as artificial intelligence, in solving global issues like an aging society and climate change. In particular, the two countries agreed to support joint research for Industry-University Institute Collaboration in developing and applying the cloud-based AI service to optimize and manage building energy efficiency in terms of realizing carbon neutrality.
This joint project would provide domestic universities, research institutes, and companies opportunities to develop new application techniques and to create practical use for eco-friendly buildings.
| [Korea-Singapore joint research on AI (draft)] o Subject: AI-based engineering for eco-friendly net-zero energy building system o Institution: (Singapore) AISG - (Korea) IITP o Activities/Size: Joint public offering between the two countries A total of 1.6 billion won (Sing 50%: Korea 50%) for two years o Timeline: Joint planning (September~December 2022) → Project contest ( February 2023 planned) → R&D launching (July 2023') |
[AI reliability verification]
The two countries agree on the importance of ensuring the responsibility, safety, and reliability of artificial intelligence, share strategies from both sides for the AI reliability verification system, and actively prepare for changes in the international regulatory environment for artificial intelligence technology.
In other words, the two countries agreed to introduce the development status of artificial intelligence reliability guidelines and verification tools and platforms and discuss various cooperative measures such as verifying compatibility and pilot projects in the future.
| [ A Cooperative Plan for Securing Korea-Singapore AI Reliability (draft) ]o Activities: Information exchange and mutual utilization cooperation to verify the reliability of artificial intelligence products and services o Organizations : (Singapore) IMDA/PDPC - (Korea) MSIT/TTA |
[Digital Medical AI Cooperation]
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (Director Oh Yu-Kyung, hereinafter referred to as MFDS) took the lead for international standards in digital medical device licensing by sharing successful cases of medical device software such as "Doctor Answer"* developed in Korea.
In particular, the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety held a bilateral meeting with Singapore’s Health Sciences Authority on December 6 to announce the status and guidelines of digital health and AI medical devices. Both countries agreed to have interactive communication and deepen collaboration in those sectors.
The Singaporean delegation had an opportunity to visit several leading Korean digital health companies and hospitals, such as Kakao, and Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, to observe advancement and to meet with medical personnel and medical artificial intelligence developers to discuss potential areas of cooperation between the two countries.
[Closing]
Minister Lee Jong-Ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT had a bilateral meeting with Minister Josephine Teo of the Ministry of Communications and Information to present Korea’s digital strategy and AI policy direction, exchange ideas on new digital technologies such as metaverse, 6G, and quantum information and communication technology and asked for attention and support for the 2030 Busan Expo as well.
During this visit, the Singaporean delegates witnessed advanced AI technology and excellent performance through innovative digital services by visiting leading global companies such as Samsung Electronics, SKT, and Naver. In particular, the delegation had an opportunity to learn a representative strategy for leading the national digital policy of the Yoon Suk-Yeol administration in terms of realizing the welfare and democracy in the digital era. This visit reaffirmed plans to introduce innovative technologies based on private-public sector cooperation with the aims of fostering future generations into digital natives and sharing Singapore’s digital policies.
Minister Lee Jong-Ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT emphasized that the “Korea-Singapore AI collaboration will be a milestone in deepening the global digital solidarity and international cooperation is essential in developing safer and more reliable technologies for humankind and this collaboration will allow us to create new opportunities for businesses and communities by promoting advanced AI domains of both countries.
Minister Josephine Teo of the Ministry of Communications and Information and Minister-in-charge of Smart Nation and Cybersecurity said, “Korea and Singapore’s AI strategies share many similarities. For one, we take a practical approach to ensure that AI is deployed for the benefit of people. Both countries also have a strong focus on AI governance, ensuring that the AI systems we use are trustworthy and human-centric. We hope to continue to deepen our collaboration in the AI and digital space so that innovation flourishes and more doors are open for our businesses and talents.”
