South Korea launches nationwide “Everyone’s AI Growth Ladder” platform

South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT inaugurated the “Everyone’s AI Growth Ladder” project at the Gwangju National Science Museum, with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister Bae Gyung‑hoon in attendance. The initiative integrates AI education, development and startup support into a single ecosystem, offering an online “AI Learning Hub” that aggregates public and private training content, and an “AI Lab” that lets any citizen develop AI services without cost or technical barriers.

The program also establishes five offline “AI Lounges” across the capital region, Gangwon, Chung‑Cheong, Gyeong‑Sang, and Jeolla‑Jeju, where users can test and apply their AI creations. Participants will have access to 99,000 public and private datasets, 13,000 APIs, and tools such as generative‑AI model tokens and cloud resources. Bae said, “AI benefits will reach all citizens,” emphasizing AI as a new basic competency for national competitiveness. The project aims to create a seamless pipeline from learning to commercialization, supporting early‑stage teams with legal, marketing and technical consulting.