Ministry of Science and ICT and Google DeepMind Join Forces for “K-Moonshot”
Deputy Prime Minister Kyunghoon Bae Meets CEO Demis Hassabis
MOU Signed for Joint AI Research, Talent Development, and Responsible AI Use

Baek Kyunghoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT (left), and Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, are signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the twenty seventh afternoon on the Four Seasons Hotel in Jongno-gu, Seoul, masking key cooperation areas equivalent to joint analysis in science and expertise AI, AI expertise improvement, and accountable AI use. Provided by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
The Ministry of Science and ICT is becoming a member of arms with Google DeepMind to set up a collaborative framework for the “K-Moonshot” initiative and the accountable use of synthetic intelligence (AI).
On April 27, the Ministry of Science and ICT introduced that it had signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Demis Hassabis, CEO of Google DeepMind, on the Four Seasons Hotel in Seoul, the place the “Google DeepMind Challenge Match” between AlphaGo and Lee Sedol occurred in 2016. The key areas of collaboration embrace joint analysis on science and expertise AI, AI expertise improvement, and accountable AI use.
Google DeepMind is a world-renowned AI analysis group that marked a symbolic turning level in AI expertise with its Go AI AlphaGo, and demonstrated the potential of AI in science and expertise with AlphaFold. Notably, Demis Hassabis, CEO, was awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for AlphaFold’s achievement in fixing the longstanding problem of protein construction prediction.
At the occasion, CEO Hassabis acknowledged, “The era of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will arrive within five years,” and noticed, “We are facing a period of tremendous transformation with AI.” Reflecting on the venue, he mentioned, “This place holds great significance as it was where AlphaGo played against Lee Sedol a decade ago,” and added, “Looking back, AlphaGo’s match was a signal flare marking the dawn of modern AI.”
CEO Hassabis additional commented, “This wave of change brought by AI will have an impact ten times greater than previous industrial revolutions, and its pace will be ten times faster.” He additionally projected, “If we navigate and overcome the various challenges of this era of change, we may enter a golden age of scientific advancement.”
Hassabis, CEO: “Meetings with Samsung, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, and LG Electronics”
Prior to signing the MOU with the Ministry of Science and ICT, CEO Hassabis met with President Jaemyung Lee on the Blue House to talk about AI cooperation. He remarked, “I am very grateful that the Korean government is deeply concerned about issues of security and safety related to AI,” and emphasised, “Google DeepMind also looks forward to close collaboration with the Korean government in this area.”
He added that Google DeepMind will proceed to pursue shut partnerships with Korean firms. CEO Hassabis acknowledged, “During my visit, meetings are scheduled with Samsung Electronics, SK hynix, Hyundai Motor, Boston Dynamics, and LG Electronics,” and added, “These partnerships will continue to expand and deepen in the future.”
CEO Hassabis expressed, “We are pleased to partner with the Korean government,” and mentioned, “By sharing Google’s models with leading Korean research institutions, we aim to achieve scientific progress.” He additionally mentioned, “We will focus on nurturing the next generation of AI talent,” and defined, “Regarding AI safety, which the Korean government is highly interested in, we plan to engage in discussions on international standards and various necessary procedures.”
Deputy Prime Minister Bae acknowledged, “The first forum I held after being appointed Minister of Science and ICT was an AI-bio roundtable,” and continued, “We have spent a long time considering and preparing for how to transform the field of science with AI.” He added, “Starting next month, we will carry out various AI research and collaborative efforts centered on the National Science AI Research Center. As seen with Anthropic’s ‘Mythos’ model, AI is penetrating deeply into hacking and security domains, so we also look forward to continuing joint research with Google DeepMind to ensure safe AI use.”
The Ministry of Science and ICT defined that the importance of the settlement lies in its timing, marking the tenth anniversary of the AlphaGo match. The settlement goals to rework a decade’s accumulation of AI achievements right into a driving drive for science and expertise innovation, and to increase world cooperation for accountable AI use and development of Korea’s AI ecosystem.
The Ministry is at the moment pursuing the “K-Moonshot” venture to improve analysis productiveness and resolve nationwide missions by means of AI-based science and expertise innovation. Through this MOU, the Ministry and Google DeepMind search to set up sensible cooperation masking expertise, infrastructure, and researcher exchanges.
The two organizations will collaborate throughout various scientific fields, together with life sciences, meteorology and local weather, and AI scientists. Joint analysis and researcher exchanges will probably be activated, centered on the National Science AI Research Center, which is scheduled to open in May. In addition, cooperation will probably be sought in areas equivalent to the event and validation of AI fashions and instruments, utilization of scientific knowledge, and supporting AI-bio innovation analysis hubs.
They may also establish internship alternatives in order that excellent Korean AI expertise can expertise Google DeepMind’s analysis atmosphere firsthand. To help this, Google will set up an AI Campus in Korea and start full-scale growth of partnerships with academia, researchers, and startups. The AI Campus is anticipated to function a hub for AI-based science and expertise collaboration with Google DeepMind, in reference to the Ok-Moonshot initiative.
Cooperation may also prolong to AI security and governance. Joint analysis will probably be pursued to develop security frameworks and safeguards for AI fashions to guarantee accountable AI improvement. In specific, the Ministry and Google DeepMind plan to proceed discussions on constructing security frameworks and testing methodologies in collaboration with the AI Safety Research Institute, which evaluates and researches AI dangers. They may also proceed to talk about establishing a worldwide AI hub in Korea and associated cooperation measures to sort out challenges dealing with humanity.
Deputy Prime Minister Bae acknowledged, “If AlphaGo ushered in the era of AI a decade ago, we are now entering a stage where AI solves scientific and technological challenges and has a real impact on people’s lives.” He continued, “The MOU signed today is a pivotal moment for Korea to accelerate AI innovation in science and technology centered on the K-Moonshot initiative, while both organizations work together to spread safe and responsible AI research and best practices.”
Following the MOU signing ceremony, the 2 organizations held a roundtable with AI consultants. Attendees included Professor Chaok Seok of Seoul National University and Professor Wooyeon Kim of KAIST, each consultants in bio and new drug improvement, Director Yongkyun Yoo of the National Science AI Research Center, and Haun Park, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of AIM Intelligence, an knowledgeable in AI security. They exchanged views on accelerating AI-driven scientific discovery and collaborative initiatives with DeepMind.
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To guarantee sensible implementation of the settlement, the 2 sides will set up a joint working group and maintain quarterly digital conferences and annual in-person conferences to constantly talk about detailed cooperation initiatives and implementation plans.
This content material was produced with the help of AI translation providers.
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