Republic of Korea: Passed Bill on Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust-Based Foundations (Bill no. DD20131) including design requirements

On 17 December 2024, the Bill on Development of Artificial Intelligence and Establishment of Trust-Based Foundations (Bill no. DD20131) was passed by the Committee of Science and Technology Information Broadcasting and Communications. This Bill would guide the ethical and responsible development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies and incorporates 19 Bills for establishing rules for AI. The Bill's purpose it to protect the rights, interests and dignity of the people. The Bill defines the term "high-impact artificial intelligence" as an artificial intelligence system that may affect or cause danger to human life, physical safety, and fundamental rights, and is used in energy supply, in the production of food, in the development of medical devices, in the management of nuclear materials, the analysis of biometric information and more. Chapter 2 of the Bill would establish a framework for the healthy development of artificial intelligence and the creation of a foundation of trust, for which an Artificial Intelligence Basic Plan would be established, mandating the Minister for Science and ICT to establish and implement a plan every three years for the promotion of AI technology and AI industry in order to increase national competitiveness. The plan were to include the basic direction and strategy of national artificial intelligence, the legal issues for the creation of a healthy AI society, including AI ethics. The Bill would enable the government to establish AI ethics principles, including safety and reliability, accessibility, and assurance of AI that contributes to human life and prosperity. Lastly, the government is allowed to promote projects regarding verification and certification voluntarily promoted by organisation to ensure safe and reliable AI. These projects include guidelines on AI development.