South Korea intends to offer free generative AI services to every citizen in the country. The technology will assist people with daily tasks such as booking medical appointments, finding housing, and managing taxes. The program will make local AI systems more accessible and give the government a bigger role in their everyday use.
The government’s “AI for All” program will start beta testing in September, with a wider launch planned for later this year. On Friday, Seoul chose three technology groups to provide the services. These groups are led by the two biggest telecom companies in the country and the company behind Kakao, a popular consumer platform in South Korea.
The services will connect to government systems rather than operate only as separate chatbots. Residents can use them to book doctor appointments, look for apartments, and get help with taxes. Small businesses will be able to calculate taxes and see if they qualify for government support. Parents will get suggestions for educational content.
Each group plans to launch its own AI app and add generative AI features to current products. Users will get unlimited access with no token limits under the government-supported plans.
Seoul will provide some of the computing power needed for the services. The government plans to provide up to 512 Nvidia B200 chips to the three groups and help cover operating costs. The Ministry of Science and ICT has not shared the total cost of the program.
This project is part of South Korea’s plan to strengthen its own AI industry and rely less on systems from the US and China. The government hopes to encourage more people to use local AI products by offering high-quality services for free.
South Korea already has a big market for generative AI. A government survey earlier this year showed that about one in four South Koreans pay for AI services. In contrast, a PNC Bank survey found that only about 2% of Americans do. Seoul estimates that over 20 million people in South Korea use free generative AI tools.
The rollout comes with a big increase in AI spending. President Lee Jae Myung’s administration has set aside about 10 trillion won, or $7.2 billion, for AI spending in 2026. This is three times as much as was allocated the year before.
For South Korea, this project will show if generative AI can become part of the country’s basic digital infrastructure. Its success will depend on whether people find the systems reliable enough for everyday tasks.
The government has not set a goal for how many people should use the new service.
