Korea to Appoint Defense CAIO, Launch 98 National AI Projects

The Korean government plans to create a Chief AI Officer (CAIO) position for national defense, modeled after similar roles at major private corporations, to oversee artificial intelligence adoption and drive innovation in weapons systems including new armament development.

Including this initiative, the government will pursue nearly 100 AI projects spanning research and development, healthcare, welfare, security, and urban management to accelerate its top policy goal of becoming a global top-three AI power.

Im Moon-young, Vice Chairman of the National AI Strategy Committee, unveiled a draft of the "Korea AI Action Plan" at a press briefing marking the committee's 100th day at Seoul Square in Jung-gu, Seoul, on Wednesday.

The AI Strategy Committee, chaired by President Lee Jae-myung, was launched in September as the control tower for determining national AI policy direction. At its inaugural meeting, the committee approved the direction for the AI Action Plan aimed at achieving top-three global AI status, with Wednesday's announcement detailing the specifics.

The committee plans to establish a Defense CAIO to intensively drive AI transformation in the military sector. The move benchmarks private companies that have been creating C-level CAIO positions to oversee AI transformation efforts.

"We will build a defense AI data center and realize an AI-powered defense powerhouse where soldiers and AI collaborate," the committee said.

The government previously outlined its defense AI transformation strategy at the first Science and Technology Ministers' Meeting last month, which included building a defense AI data center and developing intelligent weapons systems, "AI combat advisors," and "AI policy advisors."

The committee has identified 98 detailed tasks across three policy pillars.

Under "Nationwide AI-Based Transformation," measures include establishing the Defense CAIO and opening public data—such as court rulings and property registrations that AI has been unable to properly learn from due to privacy concerns—to support development of high-performance AI models. The government will also gradually develop "K-AI Specialized Pilot Cities" that use AI to solve urban problems like traffic congestion and flooding.

Under "AI Innovation Ecosystem Development," the committee plans to expand data centers using graphics processing units (GPUs) and domestic AI semiconductors. To prevent recurrence of recent large-scale hacking incidents such as those affecting Coupang, the government will deploy civilian white-hat hackers to establish a preventive security inspection system rather than reactive responses.

The government will also develop an "AI Research Companion"—similar to Google DeepMind's AlphaFold—that scientists can use for R&D, and establish an "AI Science Research Institute" to provide related support. Development of physical AI technology, next-generation AI used in robots and autonomous vehicles, will be pursued with approximately 1 trillion won in funding. AI education will become mandatory in elementary, middle, and high schools.

Under "Contributing to a Global AI-Based Society," the committee will actively adopt AI to improve welfare and healthcare, including developing predictive precision welfare models that use AI to identify those needing benefits, and technologies enabling collaborative diagnosis with physicians. The government also plans to designate an "Asia-Pacific AI Hub Special Zone" for global cooperation.

The AI Strategy Committee will finalize the action plan after gathering input from experts across industry, academia, and research institutions during a 20-day period from Thursday through February 4.

"The AI era is a path we have never traveled before, so we must respond flexibly and frequently to changes in technology development, industry, and the economic environment," Vice Chairman Im said. "There may be several follow-up plans to come."