South Korea will provide free AI access to all 52 million of its citizens, making it the first G20 country to achieve this.

      **Summary:** South Korea has initiated a bidding process for a free, unlimited AI chatbot available to all citizens, requiring that at least 50% of the technology used be domestic. The beta version is set to launch in September, with a full rollout expected by the end of the year.

      On July 13, South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT announced the bidding for the "AI for Everyone" initiative, which aims to offer a free AI chatbot and public-service agent to all 52 million residents in the country. This initiative would position South Korea as the first G20 nation to provide AI as a public service. The government plans to select two or three companies that will receive up to 512 Nvidia B200 GPUs, with applications closing on August 11 and a beta version set for September.

      Official bidding documents highlight the significance of this initiative, as two-thirds of Koreans have engaged with AI, and approximately 44.5% (around 23 million) are regular users of generative AI. Currently, most users depend on foreign services, with ChatGPT leading at 23.45 million users in April 2026, followed by Gemini with 8.45 million and Claude at 2.41 million. Only 1.8 million Koreans pay for AI services. The program mandates that at least 50% of the AI system utilize domestic models, with an additional 30% sourced from other local firms. Selected companies will need to supplement government GPU support with their own funding. The initiative will extend until 2030.

      This program follows the deputy prime minister's remarks in May about ensuring AI benefits reach the broader public, coinciding with Samsung's labor union preparing for a strike regarding AI-driven profit distribution. The "AI for Everyone" initiative reflects a policy commitment to treat AI access as an essential infrastructure rather than merely a product for sale.

      The requirement for domestic models represents a strategic move to bolster national interests under the guise of public service. By enforcing that the majority of the system operates on Korean models, Seoul is fostering a guaranteed market for local AI developers while decreasing reliance on American and Chinese technologies. South Korea is financing its AI goals through the revenue gained from chip taxes attributed to Samsung and SK Hynix, linking semiconductor earnings at the top of the supply chain to services for citizens at the bottom. No other G20 nation has undertaken a similar effort.