South Korea passes the first AI regulations | Infinium-tech
South Korea has launched a historic set of laws to regulate AI before any other country or bloc (EU rules are set to be implemented in phases over the next year).
Under Korea’s AI Basic Act, companies must ensure there is human oversight for “high-impact” AI in areas such as nuclear safety, drinking water, transportation, healthcare, and financial uses such as credit assessment and loan screening.
Companies must provide users with advance notice about products or services that use high-impact or generative AI, and clearly label AI-generated outputs that are difficult to distinguish from reality.
Companies will be given a grace period of at least one year before being fined. Fines for failing to label generative AI can reach up to KRW 30 million (which is about $20,480).
Startups in the country are concerned about vague provisions of the law, leading to safer but less innovative approaches to avoid regulatory risk. The Ministry of Science and ICT will provide a guidance platform and a dedicated help center during the grace period.
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