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Ministry of Science Announces Call for On-Device AI Service Demonstration Projects
Call for On-Device AI Service Demonstration Projects
The Ministry of Science and ICT has announced a call for proposals for its 'On-Device AI Service Demonstration and Expansion' project. This initiative aims to discover innovative on-device AI public services, powered by Neural Processing Units (NPUs), and to conduct large-scale demonstrations in urban environments to verify their effectiveness and stimulate the AI ecosystem. The call for new projects for 2026 runs from March 24 to April 30. On-device AI is a technology that allows devices to analyze and make decisions without an internet connection, offering advantages in rapid response and high security, which is increasingly important in fields requiring real-time judgments like disaster and safety management.
Developing and Applying Innovative Public Services
The government has been promoting projects to transform cities through on-device AI public services since 2025. Last year, projects such as unmanned aerial vehicles for coastal surveillance, early forest fire warning systems, and river green algae monitoring services were selected and are currently being developed and demonstrated in Busan Metropolitan City, Hadong-gun and Sancheong-gun in Gyeongsangnam-do, and Yeongju-si in Gyeongsangbuk-do. This year, the ministry plans to select five additional new projects to uncover even more diverse and innovative services. The selected lead and participating organizations will develop the required on-device AI services for local governments over two years and deploy intelligent devices equipped with Neural Processing Units (NPUs) in real-world settings.
*Source: 한국방송뉴스 (2026-03-24)*
