A Tough Balancing Act - The Evolving AI Governance in Korea

21 Pages Posted: 22 Jul 2024

See all articles by Do Hyun Park

Do Hyun Park

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST)

Eunjung Cho

ETH Zurich

Yong Lim

Seoul National University School of Law

Date Written: April 21, 2024

Abstract

AI governance began to emerge as a focal point of discourse in Korea from the mid 2010s. Since then, multiple government and public bodies have released guidelines for AI governance, and various tech companies have announced their own AI ethics and governance principles. Beyond its borders, Korea has also actively participated in efforts to establish international norms and guidelines on AI governance. These developments were in part propelled by events that increased public awareness of the importance of trustworthy AI. This has also led to numerous legislative proposals that purport to increase technical and legal checks on such systems. At the same time, Korea has maintained its emphasis on the promotion of new technologies as a fundamental principle of legislative policy. Pursuing the dual goals of spurring innovation in the field of AI while at the same time ensuring its safety has led to confusion and, in some cases, incongruity within the AI governance framework in Korea. The Korean experience sheds light on factors that can influence the trajectory of a jurisdiction's AI governance, including public awareness of AI's potential for both benefit and harm, and the existing legislative and policy framework for governing technology.

Keywords: AI, AI governance, AI law, AI regulation, Korea

Suggested Citation

Park, Do Hyun and Cho, Eunjung and Lim, Yong, A Tough Balancing Act - The Evolving AI Governance in Korea (April 21, 2024). East Asian Science, Technology and Society: An International Journal, volume 18, issue 2, 2024 [10.1080/18752160.2024.2348307], Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=4891785 or http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/18752160.2024.2348307

Do Hyun Park

Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (GIST) ( email )

Eunjung Cho

ETH Zurich ( email )

Yong Lim (Contact Author)

Seoul National University School of Law ( email )

#72-611, 1 Gwanak-ro, Gwanak-gu
Seoul, 08826
Korea, Republic of (South Korea)

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