The Korea Generative AI Foundation (KGAF), an incorporated association, said on May 22 it held an "AX Great Transformation: AX Great Leap - Expert Policy Forum" on May 19 at a seminar room on the fourth floor of the Seongnam City Council. The event, hosted by KGAF's K-Sovereign AX Promotion Committee, was arranged to discuss AI transformation visions for Gyeonggi province and Seongnam.

The forum was attended by Gyeonggi gubernatorial candidate Chu Mi-ae (추미애), Seongnam mayoral candidate Kim Byung-wook (김병욱), Choi Min-hee (최민희), chair of the National Assembly's Science, ICT, Broadcasting and Communications Committee, and Kim Sung-hoe (김성회), a lawmaker of the Democratic Party, among AI experts.

Chu named semiconductors as key infrastructure for an AI transformation. "An AI transformation is impossible without semiconductors that make up computing hardware," she said. "Just as we once envied oil-producing countries, the whole world will envy South Korea for its unrivalled technological edge in semiconductors," she said.

She also stressed the scope of AX is not limited to autonomous driving and robots. "It can expand to all industries, including agriculture, energy, manufacturing, petrochemicals and steel," Chu said. She said introducing semiconductor-based control centres and sensors in the petrochemical and steel industries, which have many hazardous processes, can prevent accidents in advance.

Kim focused on transforming administrative systems and services that citizens can feel. "The key is how to apply the AI models and technologies that have been created to administration and everyday life to enrich lives," he said.

He also pointed to limits in processing public administrative documents. "AI cannot accurately read administrative documents such as Hangul Word Processor files and PDFs, causing errors and limiting data accumulation," Kim said. He proposed that Gyeonggi and local governments collaborate around a new government's National Data Agency to discuss data standardisation and packaging of useful data and to develop standard models.

Choi said the National Assembly has completed institutional revisions. "We have finished proposing and passing related bills to elevate the science ministry to deputy prime minister level," he said. He said the law also reflects an exemption clause when using AI products to address the problem of public officials avoiding adoption of new AI products due to concerns about responsibility.

At the forum, KGAF delivered to the two candidates a booklet titled "AX Nation-building" that it submitted to the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and other agencies in line with the AI policy direction of the Lee Jae-myung government. Song Se-kyung (송세경), KGAF's chairman, stressed: "We must build a truly strong South Korea with AI now."