A public contest is being promoted to develop and verify new services that apply AI models specialized for demand companies and institutions using on-device AI devices that use domestic AI semiconductors.

The Ministry of Science and ICT (Minister Yoo Sang-im) announced on March 31st that it will be accepting applications for the 2025 project of the “Embedded AI Service Verification and Expansion” from April 30th to discover embedded (on-device) AI services that independently perform AI calculations within devices using domestically produced AI semiconductors and to innovate the safety and convenience of daily life and cities by verifying them on a city-by-city basis.

Embedded artificial intelligence, or on-device AI, directly processes AI algorithms and models such as convolutional neural networks (CNNs) within the device without an internet connection, thereby demonstrating great strengths in rapid service response, enhanced data security, and customized optimization functions.

As the development of domestic artificial intelligence semiconductor technology has made real-time data processing and personalized service provision possible, the purpose of this project is to verify its effectiveness and activate the related ecosystem by conducting large-scale demonstrations targeting the entire city.

Through this project, the Ministry of Science and ICT plans to have companies in the front and back of the embedded artificial intelligence industry cooperate to discover innovative services that anyone can experience in their daily lives.

The government will do this for the next two years It is expected that three consortia (totaling 8.55 billion won) will be selected to carry out the project, and these consortia will promote verification projects on the themes of ‘safe city’, ‘convenient city’, and ‘improved city’ using domestically produced artificial intelligence semiconductors based on convolutional neural networks during the first phase of the project from 2025 to 2026.

In Phase 1, embedded AI services will be applied throughout the city, focusing on AI vision technology, to introduce safety services that can quickly identify and respond to disaster or emergency situations, various customized services that can improve citizen convenience, and innovative solutions that improve problems with existing infrastructure.

The second phase of the project, which will be carried out from 2027 to 2028, is expected to accelerate the diffusion of technology by demonstrating new service models, such as artificial intelligence agents, using domestically produced artificial intelligence semiconductors that support multimodal data processing and generative artificial intelligence.

Meanwhile, detailed information on this project can be found on the websites of the Ministry of Science and ICT (www.msit.go.kr) and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (www.nipa.kr), and a business briefing session to provide general information on this project is scheduled to be held on April 9, 2025 at the Sejong MICE Center (253 Hannuri-daero, Naseong-dong, Sejong Special Self-Governing City).

Park Tae-wan, director general of the Ministry of Science and ICT’s Information and Communication Industry Policy Bureau, emphasized, “Embedded AI has a clear advantage over other technologies in terms of response speed, security, and user optimization, and is a key area that will open a new market for domestically produced AI semiconductors.” He added, “Through this demonstration project, the government will spare no support so that innovative AI services that can respond quickly to emergency situations such as disasters can be discovered, and so that our country can establish itself as a powerhouse in this field.”