A bill to amend the Basic Act on the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence and the Establishment of a Trust Foundation, which includes provisions to create a basis for establishing an AI institute, passed the National Assembly's plenary session on Tuesday.

With the law set to take effect on Jan. 22, the core measures include having the public sector serve as a catalyst to promote AI industry innovation and strengthening AI accessibility for vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities.

The revisions include legislating changes to the National AI Strategy Committee, establishing and operating an AI institute, creating AI demand in the public sector, supporting the revitalisation of startups in the AI field, supporting AI professionals, creating a basis for providing public data as training data, supporting education on the use of AI technology, and establishing a basis to guarantee access for AI-vulnerable groups and support related costs.

The revisions rename the National AI Committee as the National AI Strategy Committee and strengthen its deliberation and decision-making functions. They also establish a legal basis for the committee to serve as a control tower for national AI policy.

The revisions create a basis for establishing and operating an AI institute. To promote AI use and create AI demand in the public sector, they require state institutions and other bodies to give priority consideration to AI products and services when purchasing products and services or placing service orders needed to carry out their work.

They also create a legal basis to exempt officials responsible for purchasing and using AI products and services from liability for compensating their institutions for damages if losses occur at institutions that have introduced such products and services, unless there is intent or gross negligence.

The revisions also support the revitalisation of startups in the AI field. They establish a new legal basis for creating an AI startup support fund, allowing the head of a central administrative agency, in consultation with the minister of SMEs and Startups, to use a venture investment fund-of-funds association to support AI startups.

They also allow the creation of a public AI startup support fund in which not only the state and local governments but also the general public can participate.

They also require that, when establishing the basic AI plan under Article 6, it include matters such as standards and scope for providing public data as training data. This provides an institutional foundation to actively use public data as training data.

The revisions establish a basis to nurture and support AI professionals and to guarantee accessibility for AI-vulnerable groups and support costs for low-income people. They require that the views of AI-vulnerable groups such as people with disabilities and older people who have difficulty using AI products and services be reflected in the process of developing and establishing national AI policy. They also establish a basis for the state and local governments to support costs for people who have difficulty using AI products and services due to economic conditions.

The revisions will take effect on Jan. 22, when the AI Basic Act takes effect, after a cabinet meeting and presidential approval. Provisions requiring amendments to the AI Basic Act's enforcement decree - support for revitalising AI startups, creating public-sector AI demand and cost support for AI-vulnerable groups - will take effect six months after promulgation of the revisions.

Bae Kyung-hoon, deputy prime minister and minister of science and ICT, said passage of the revisions was a meaningful achievement showing the government and parliament worked together for the development of South Korea's AI industry. He said he would support the AI Basic Act so it becomes a strong partner in advancing the country's AI industry.