Правительство Южной Кореи инвестирует 1 триллион вон в течение пяти лет (ок. 870 млн. долл.) в изучение искусственного интеллекта. Задело, как чемпион по го (падук) проиграл компьютеру.


The government plans to invest almost W1 trillion over the next five years to boost research in artificial intelligence (US$1=W1,170).

A research and development center is to be set up over the next few months to focus on new AI technologies, bringing together Samsung, LG, Hyundai Motor, SK Telecom, KT and Naver with government support.

The announcement comes after the historic baduk or go match between champion Lee Se-dol and Google DeepMind's proto-artificial intelligence program AlphaGo galvanized interest in AI here.

Minister of the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning Choi Yang-hee announced the plans in a meeting of experts and industry figures at Cheong Wa Dae chaired by President Park Geun-hye.

The six companies will each invest W3 billion in the R&D center, which will hire around 50 researchers, and the ministry will pump another W138.8 billion into the center this year. Its total investments will amount to W978,8 billion by 2020.

It hopes to raise another W2.5 trillion worth of private-sector investment.

Critics voiced concerns that the government is getting into bed yet again with big businesses that may not be best placed to undertake R&D in a fresh field, but the ministry said it will merely "back up" the work of the center.