South Korea on Monday announced an ambitious plan to secure 10,000 high-performance graphics processing units (GPUs) within this year as it seeks to strengthen its artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities amid growing global competition according to a Reuters report.
“As competition for dominance in the AI industry intensifies, the competitive landscape is shifting from battles between companies to a full-scale rivalry between national innovation ecosystems,” said South Korea’s acting President Choi Sang-mok in a statement.
The government plans to acquire the GPUs through public-private cooperation to bolster AI infrastructure and launch services at its national AI computing centre. This move aligns with South Korea’s broader strategy to enhance technological self-sufficiency and innovation in AI development.
The announcement comes amid tighter U.S. regulations on AI chip exports, which could impact global AI development. Last month, the U.S. government introduced new rules restricting the export of GPUs and specialized processors crucial for advanced AI applications.
The number of GPUs required for AI model training depends on various factors, including hardware efficiency, data volume, model size, and training duration. South Korea’s aggressive push to secure high-performance GPUs highlights its commitment to remaining competitive in the rapidly evolving AI landscape.
