Semiconductors determine the performance of data centers, which are the foundation of competitiveness in internet-based resource sharing. Among these, AI semiconductors offer high cost-effectiveness, and global cloud service providers such as Amazon are leveraging AI semiconductors to proactively secure a leading competitive edge in internet-based resource sharing.

On the 12th, the Ministry of Science and ICT announced the 'K-Cloud Promotion Plan Utilizing Domestic AI Semiconductors' at the Gyeonggi Creative Economy Innovation Center. Minister Lee Jong-ho presided over the 'High-Level Strategic Dialogue on AI Semiconductors' on the same day, and it was reported that this promotion plan was prepared to implement the 'Korea Digital Strategy.'

The K-Cloud promotion plan aims to develop world-class, ultra-high-speed, low-power domestic AI semiconductors and apply them to data centers. The purpose is to strengthen the competitiveness of domestic internet-based resource sharing and to provide enhanced artificial intelligence and internet-based resource sharing services to the public.
The government plans to consolidate and systematize existing AI semiconductor projects, such as the next-generation intelligent semiconductor technology development and PIM AI semiconductor core technology development projects, and prepare an implementation plan for advancement by investing a total of 826.2 billion won from 2023 to 2030.

First, it has been reported that there is a plan to advance domestic AI semiconductors in three stages. It was announced that in the first stage, to be completed by 2025, the plan is to continuously upgrade domestic NPUs, which are currently in the early stages of commercialization, and apply them to data centers to support securing successful track records and creating an initial market.

Next, the second phase set a goal to achieve world-class computational performance with low power consumption by combining a DRAM-based commercial PIM with a domestic NPU by 2028.

Phase 3 envisions a plan to achieve ultra-low power consumption by developing NPUs and PIMs based on analog MAC computation using non-volatile memory by 2030. Through this, a goal was set to increase the market share of domestic AI semiconductors in the domestic data center market to 80% by 2030.
In addition, it specified plans to promote a preliminary feasibility study project for software required for AI semiconductors for data centers, to promote phased application and service provision in data centers, and to strengthen cooperation among industry, academia, and research institutes. In this process, it announced a tentative investment of approximately 100 billion won by 2025 by linking the construction of domestic NPU data centers with existing AI and Internet-based resource sharing service development projects.

In addition, the 'Domestic AI Semiconductor-based K-Cloud Alliance' will be established to create a public-private collaboration channel and identify key tasks for the promotion of 'K-Cloud'. To facilitate technology linkages between major memory semiconductor companies and industry, academia, and research institutes for the advancement and demonstration of Phase 2 and 3 PIM, the role of the 'PIM Hub (Design Research Center, KAIST)' will be strengthened, and the organizations of the research and development support institutions, the Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute (ETRI) and the Institute for Information and Communications Technology Planning and Evaluation (IITP), will be strengthened to enhance collaboration in related fields (AI semiconductors, internet-based resource sharing, AI, etc.).

In addition, plans were announced to establish a new 'AI Semiconductor Graduate School' through collaboration between AI semiconductor companies and universities to develop a curriculum, with the aim of cultivating top-tier talent equipped with the design capabilities required in the field.

Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho stated, “Korea possesses world-class competitiveness in the field of memory semiconductors, and based on this technological capability, we can foster AI semiconductors to the world’s highest level, which will serve as a core foundational technology for the AI era and a new growth engine for the semiconductor industry.” He added, “Through the ‘K-Cloud’ project, we will bring together industry, academia, and research institutes to enhance the competitiveness of domestic AI semiconductors and internet-based resource sharing, so that the public can receive better AI services.”