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

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 would establish a National AI Policy Centre, the AI Policy Centre, the AI Safety Research Institute, the Civilian Voluntary AI Ethics Committee and the Trust Foundation for AI. The National AI Committee would be tasked with matters related to policies for the promotion of the AI industry, the R&D strategy in the AI field, the AI-related investment strategy, AI data centres, and promoting international cooperation and usage in industrial sectors. The AI Policy Centre would be designated to share its expertise in the development of master plans, AI-related measures and the research and analysis of the impact on society, trends, and social and cultural changes. The AI Safety Research Institute would be tasked with defining and analysing safety risks, research, evaluation criteria and methods, AI safety technology and standardisation research. The Civilian Voluntary AI Ethics Committee would be designated to ensure compliance with the Ethics Principles.