– The competition, which aims to attract more than 2 million participants, run from April to November offering total prize money of KRW 3 billion.
– Celebrity Kim Jong-guk was appointed as an official ambassador, and a public-private partnership declaration ceremony was held.
– The opening ceremony held on March 26 was attended by about 300 participants including the ambassador, supporters, and representatives from participating companies and relevant government agencies.
【Relevant National Task】
21. Becoming the world’s most AI-literate country
The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister: Bae Kyung-hoon) officially launched the AI Challenge for All, a nationwide AI competition open to participants of all ages, with an opening ceremony at Yangjae L Tower in Seoul on March 26.
AI is no longer a technology limited to a small group of experts. Rather, it has become a basic competency that all citizens should learn and use in everyday life, much like the Korean alphabet and mathematics. Recognizing this, MSIT is advancing the “AI for All” policy to help people understand the benefits of AI and access and utilize it more easily in daily life.
In line with the policy, the AI Challenge for All aims to promote an AI use culture throughout society by encouraging participation from people of all ages from students to senior citizens. In particular, recognizing that AI can be spread more rapidly through hands-on experiences than through education, the competition focuses on providing participants with a sense of achievements through solving problems using AI.
The opening ceremony, under the theme of “Everyone’s AI Festival to Enjoy Tomorrow’s Possibilities,” was attended by approximately 300 participants including citizens, supporters, representatives from private companies and relevant ministries as well as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Kyung-hoon. The ceremony was conducted in a way that distinguished guests and citizens sat together and engaged in open conversation, to reflect the purpose of the competition: a “festival for all”.
Kim Jong-guk, a widely recognized celebrity, was appointed as the event’s official ambassador to leverage his approachable image on television and deliver the message that AI is not a domain restricted to experts, but an accessible tool anyone can use in their daily lives.
Along with him, three supporters representing different age groups (elementary school students, university students, and senior citizens) were also appointed as ambassadors to encourage participation of all generations. Meanwhile, a public-private partnership declaration ceremony was held with the participation of relevant ministries including the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Education, and the Ministry of National Defense as well as private companies including Kakao, SKT, and LGU+ to mobilize public-private capabilities for the competition. During the subsequent talk concert, participants shared real-world AI use cases, helping to bridge the gap between the public and AI technology.
The competition, which aims to attract more than 2 million participants, will be organized into four categories based on participants’ goals and levels of expertise: the general public; elementary, middle, and high school students (future talent); university students and researchers (advanced use); and socially vulnerable groups (everyday innovation).
The first category, targeting the general public, includes competition programs open to all to make AI more familiar and accessible. These include an AI quiz competition, a contest for submitting real-life AI use cases, and an AI error-spotting challenge.
The second category for elementary, middle, and high school students features an AI Creative Contest where participants use AI to create artwork and stories, as well as a Robotics Challenge that involves solving given problems through hands-on robotics activities. These programs are designed to promote responsible AI use while also helping students explore future career paths.
The third category consists of competitions for university students and researchers, including the AI Rookie and AI Champion contests, where participants develop AI technologies and services using their specialized knowledge. Additional competition programs include the AI Education Service Development Contest (Eduthon) for pre-service teachers, the AI Innovation Challenge for public institutions, as well as the National Defense AI Contest and the National Defense AI Idea Competition for military personnel.
The fourth category includes the National Happiness AI Contest for socially vulnerable groups, including senior citizens and people with disabilities to assess their basic AI skills such as information search. In addition, the Restart (Reboot) AI Utilization Contest provides young people who are not currently employed or career-interrupted women with AI training and opportunities to create practical outputs, thereby supporting the development of AI capabilities.
In addition, the competition will incorporate AI services developed by Korean companies throughout its programs to promote the adoption of homegrown AI technologies. A dedicated Korean AI track will be operated within the AI Rookie and AI Champion contests, and locally developed AI services will also be used in content creation for the AI Creative Contest.
Furthermore, outstanding participants identified through the competition will be offered opportunities for employment and entrepreneurship through government programs by MSIT and the Ministry of SMEs and Startups. In particular, to help turn outstanding ideas and achievement into real startups, the competition will be linked with the ministry’s “Startup for All” project.
“I hope that the AI Challenge for All would become ‘a true AI festival for everyone,’ where all citizens can explore tomorrow’s possibilities,” Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae said, “The government will actively work to ensure that this competition serves as a turning point for enhancing the public’s AI capabilities and fostering an AI use culture across society.”
Detailed information on the AI Challenge for All is available on the official website (https://aichallenge4all.or.kr), launched on March 26. Registration is open to all and can be completed through the website or by scanning QR codes provided on promotional videos and posters.