The South Korean government has adopted a set of ethics principles laying out common standards for the sound development and use of artificial intelligence. Rather than imposing regulation that could restrict AI innovation, the government plans to run the framework as a voluntary guide that developers and users can apply as a basis for judgment.
The Ministry of Science and ICT and the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI) said on the 24th that the "Republic of Korea AI Ethics Principles" were finalized after review and approval at the 12th Meeting of Science and Technology-Related Ministers.
The principles set out shared values and standards to be observed jointly by companies that develop, provide and use AI, along with users, the government and society. The three core values to pursue in the AI era are human dignity, the public good of society and the sustainability of humanity. Seven principles to realize those values were named: human-centeredness, privacy protection, fairness and inclusiveness, accountability, safety, reliability and transparency.
Human-centeredness holds that AI should be used to support people's judgment, creativity and problem-solving. Privacy protection calls for processing personal data only within necessary limits and respecting the self-determination rights of data subjects. Fairness and inclusiveness call for preventing unfair discrimination arising from AI bias and for working to ensure that everyone can access the benefits and opportunities of AI on equal terms.
Safety is aimed at preventing harm to life, body, mental health and property, and at guarding against misuse and external attacks. For reliability, the principles call for setting and checking performance standards suited to the purpose and context of use. The transparency principle calls for providing necessary information — such as whether AI is used, to what degree and with what limits — in an easy-to-understand way.
It is the first time in six years, since 2020, that the government has overhauled national-level AI ethics standards. Concerns have been mounting over changes to labor and jobs, copyright and over-reliance issues driven by the spread of generative AI. In response, the government treats not only AI providers but also users as parties responsible for using AI responsibly, and set out roles for both.
Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, stressed that "accelerating AI innovation and creating a safe and trustworthy AI environment are not conflicting tasks." He added, "We will provide support so that the Republic of Korea AI Ethics Principles take root as a practical standard that raises social trust in AI and helps advance desirable development and use as well as the spread of its benefits."
