South Korea's 'world-first' AI laws face pushback amid bid to become leading tech power

South Korea's Bold Attempt to Regulate Artificial Intelligence Falls Prey to Backlash Amid Global Unease.

The South Korean government has set its sights on becoming one of the world's leading powers in artificial intelligence, with the launch of a comprehensive set of laws aimed at regulating the rapidly advancing technology. The 'AI Basic Act,' which came into effect last week, is being hailed as a model for other countries to follow but has already encountered fierce pushback from local tech startups and civil society groups.

Critics argue that the new legislation goes too far, imposing excessive regulations on companies providing AI services without adequately addressing the needs of smaller players or foreign firms. The law requires companies to label AI-generated content and conduct risk assessments for high-impact AI systems, including those used in medical diagnosis and hiring decisions.

However, many are questioning whether the rules are sufficient to protect citizens from potential harm caused by AI systems. With South Korea accounting for 53% of all global deepfake pornography victims, a growing sense of unease is palpable. Civil society groups have expressed concern that the new legislation provides limited protection for people harmed by AI systems.

One major criticism is that the law's exemption provision for "human involvement" creates significant loopholes, leaving many vulnerable individuals without adequate recourse. The country's human rights commission has also criticized the enforcement decree for lacking clear definitions of high-impact AI, placing those most likely to suffer rights violations in regulatory blind spots.

Experts note that South Korea has opted for a more flexible framework than other jurisdictions, relying on "trust-based promotion and regulation" rather than a strict risk-based model. While this approach may serve as a useful reference point in global AI governance discussions, it remains to be seen whether the country's bold attempt to regulate artificial intelligence will ultimately yield positive results.

The government has promised a grace period of at least a year before penalties are imposed for non-compliance, with fines of up to 30 million won (£15,000) available for those that violate the rules. However, many are left wondering whether these measures will be enough to prevent companies from pushing back against the new regulations.

As South Korea strives to establish itself as a leading player in the rapidly evolving AI landscape, it is clear that navigating the complex web of regulatory frameworks and industry standards will require careful consideration and cooperation between government agencies, civil society groups, and tech companies.

I was just thinking about my weekend road trip to the beach , and how I got lost in these tiny coastal towns for hours . Anyway, back to this AI thing... 30 million won is a pretty steep fine, but I'm sure some big corporations will find ways to work around it . It's like when my aunt tried to make her famous kimchi recipe without following the traditional steps and ended up with a disaster . I guess that's what happens when you're trying to innovate too fast .

The govt's plan for AI seems kinda cool at first but now it's like they're playing catch-up ... I mean, if they don't tighten up these rules they'll just be letting big corps walk all over smaller players ... and what about those deepfake vids tho? shouldn't the gov be doin' more to protect people from gettin harmed by AI systems?

idk why theyre making such big deal about this... like i get it, ai can be bad, but do we really need laws on top of laws? its just gonna drive all the innovation overseas

idk why govt do this now, just introduce new law 1 month ago already got backlash from startups n civ society lol what's wrong with leaving things alone? deepfake porn victims r bad enough 2 start with, dont need more gov rules

Man, I'm watching this whole AI regulation thing go down in South Korea and I'm just thinking, back in my day we didn't have all these rules and regulations about every single little thing . It's like they're trying to control everything! And now I hear about deepfake porn and medical diagnosis being affected by AI systems? That's wild . I mean, I get it, safety first and all that, but come on, can't we just have a little more freedom with our tech?

And what's up with this "trust-based promotion and regulation" thing? Sounds like just a fancy way of saying they're not really sure how to regulate it . And don't even get me started on the exemptions for "human involvement"... that's just begging for trouble, if you ask me .

I guess what I'm saying is, can't we all just take a deep breath and figure this whole AI thing out together? It's like they're trying to solve a puzzle blindfolded while running a marathon . Yeah, that's gonna end well

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple." Sometimes you gotta question what's really going on behind closed doors before making a move

I'm low-key confused about this whole thing. I mean, I get why they want to regulate AI, but 30 million won fines seem like a pretty weak hand to play. And what's up with the "human involvement" loophole? It feels like they're just winging it and hoping for the best. I remember when Trump was in office, he used to say that we should be focusing on innovation and growth over regulations. But now South Korea's trying to be all pro-regulation and pro-AI safety... I don't know, man. It's like they want to have their cake and eat it too.

the thing with south korea's ai regulation is that its like they're trying to catch all the bad guys but the net is gonna be super wide and might just end up catching some good stuff too i mean, they want to protect people from deepfakes and medical diagnosis errors but what about when it comes down to just regular ol' tech companies looking out for their own interests? and yeah, the exemptions and loopholes are definitely a major concern i think its time for them to rethink the whole "trust-based promotion" thing and go for something more concrete

I mean, i think its crazy how much pushback this new law is getting from tech startups and whatnot... like, yeah we get it, the gov's trying to protect ppl from AI gone wrong but dont they also want to encourage innovation and all that? its like, how do you balance regulation with progress? i dunno, idk, seems like a tough spot for em.

man... south korea's trying to be all high-tech and regulatory at the same time but honestly i think it's kinda like when my dad used to try to teach me how to use that new calculator back in '07... he was super excited, but ended up making a mess . seriously though, these deepfake porn vids are getting out of control and we need some real action, not just empty laws . what's 30 million won, anyway? my old dude used to work for that price per hour back in the day... good times .

I'm telling ya, this AI thing is getting outta hand ! Back in my day, we didn't need no AI to make us fake porn ... but I guess that's just the way it goes now. These new regulations in South Korea are a good start, but they're also kinda... wishy-washy? I mean, who decides what's "high-impact" and what's not? It's like trying to catch lightning in a bottle, ya know?

And don't even get me started on the deepfakes . I heard South Korea's got some of the highest rates of those things... it's like they're breeding them or something! But seriously, we need to be careful about how we regulate this stuff. We don't want to stifle innovation, but we also can't let it get outta control.

I reckon the government's trying their best here , but they might need to take a step back and think about it some more. Maybe have some more open discussions with the tech companies and civil society groups? Get some experts in on the panel ... that kinda thing. We can't just rush into this stuff without being sure we've got it figured out .

The more I think about it, the more I'm reminded of that scene from Black Mirror where they're trying to regulate AI, but everyone's like "what does that even mean?" It's like, South Korea's trying to be all responsible with their new laws, but are they just creating a whole new set of problems? Those loopholes with the "human involvement" thing are giving me major Stranger Things vibes . I don't know if 30 million won is enough to scare companies into compliance, tbh

I'm seeing some major pushback on this new AI regulation law in South Korea . On one hand, I get why they're trying to protect citizens from potential harm, but the exemptions for "human involvement" are pretty worrying . It's like, what if those human involvements are just being used as a loophole? And 30 million won fines don't seem like enough to scare people off . The fact that there's not more clarity on high-impact AI definitions is also a major red flag . We need this kind of regulation to be more robust if we're going to tackle the risks associated with AI.

This whole AI regulation thing is getting outta hand . I mean, I get why South Korea wants to be a leader in this space, but do they have to go full-on nanny state? Companies need some freedom to innovate without being suffocated by all these rules. And what's up with the deepfake porn victim stats? 53% of global victims? That's wild. But yeah, I guess it's not all bad that they're having this conversation. We need more discussion around AI ethics and how we can use this tech to make our lives better, not worse. Let's hope they figure out a way to balance innovation with responsible regulation...

I'm getting really worried about this whole AI thing . I mean, I know some countries are trying to regulate it because we don't want to be controlled by robots or something . But seriously, it seems like South Korea is being a bit too aggressive with their new laws. They're already pushing back from the tech startups and civil society groups, which makes me think that these regulations aren't as solid as they seem.

I also get why people are concerned about AI-generated content and deepfakes . I mean, who wouldn't want to protect themselves from fake pictures or videos that could be used against them? But at the same time, I'm not sure if 30 million won (£15,000) is a big enough fine to deter companies from pushing back.

I think what's missing here is some kind of international agreement on how to regulate AI. If other countries are also trying to do this, we might be able to learn from each other and come up with something that really works .

omg i had the craziest dream last nite where i was at an ai lab and they were working on a deepfake project but then it went haywire and started generating creepy vids of my fave kpop idol lol anyway back to south korea's new ai laws idk if im being too harsh but its seems like theyre trying 2 regulate ai w/o fully thinking thru the implications i mean what about the small players who cant afford 2 comply? or whats gonna happen when the fines get high enough that companies just stop developing ai altogether? plus i'm still traumatized by those deepfake vids idk if i'll ever b able 2 look at kpop vids w/o 2nd guessing if theyre real lol

im think gov is moving too slow on this one ‍ they need to be more specific with rules so people know what's expected of them. 30 million won ain't exactly a lot for some big corps they should also consider setting up a special task force or something just to make sure these regulations aren't being skirted around

South Korea's AI regulation attempt is like a hot potato - pass it to someone else, right? The gov't is trying to show the world they're serious about AI safety, but this law just seems like a Band-Aid on a bigger issue . I mean, have you seen those deepfake porn vids? 53% of global victims and South Korea's got one of the worst records? That's some messed up stuff .

But here's the thing - what if this law just creates more problems than it solves? Like, what about all the small startups that can't afford to label their AI-generated content or do risk assessments? Or foreign firms that are already operating in a grey area? The gov't is basically saying "we're watching you" and then giving companies a year to comply before they get fined . Is that enough?

And don't even get me started on the human rights commission's concerns about loopholes and regulatory blind spots . It feels like the gov't just threw their hands up in the air and said "good luck figuring this out" .

I think South Korea needs to take a step back, reassess what they're trying to achieve here, and have a more nuanced conversation with all the stakeholders involved . This AI regulation thing is like a global chess game - you need all players on the same page if you want to make progress .

I'm like totally all for this new law , but also kinda think it's gonna be a huge mess . I mean, regulating AI is super important, especially with deepfakes and medical diagnosis and stuff... but at the same time, I don't wanna see our startups get suffocated by all these rules .

I'm so down for stricter regulations, but only if we're making sure that our smaller players and foreign firms aren't getting left behind . And what's with this "human involvement" exemption? Isn't that just a fancy way of saying "we don't want to deal with it"?

I think the government is trying to do the right thing, but we need to be careful not to create more problems than we solve . A year-long grace period might not be enough time for companies to figure out how to comply, and those fines? Not exactly gonna keep people in check .

We need a team effort here, with all stakeholders working together to make this law work . It's a tough balancing act, but I'm willing to give it a shot... for now .