South Korea promises free homegrown AI chatbot in 2026

South Korea announced on July 21 that it plans to launch a free AI chatbot built with its own technology by 2026. The government wants to give all of its citizens access to artificial intelligence without charging a monthly fee. Officials say the goal is to rely less on foreign AI tools, such as ChatGPT, which is made by the American company OpenAI. The announcement came on the same day that South Korea's new AI laws officially went into effect.

Right now, about half of South Korea's 51 million people use generative AI apps. Generative AI is software that can write text, answer questions, or create images based on what a user asks. A research firm called Wiseapp-Retail found that in February, nearly 23 million South Koreans were using ChatGPT alone. That means one foreign product has become the go-to AI tool for millions of people in the country.

South Korea's Science Minister Bae Kyung-hoon explained why the government wants to change that. "To persuade users to move away from foreign AI services they already pay for, we need to provide services that are even better," he told reporters on July 20. The government's plan, called "AI for All," aims to roll out a general-purpose chatbot and a more advanced AI agent by the end of 2026. An AI agent can handle more complex tasks than a basic chatbot, like helping someone plan their finances or find government services.

Making the service free is a big part of the plan. Most popular AI tools today require users to pay a monthly subscription fee. The government believes that offering a free option will help more people — especially those who can't afford paid services — start using AI technology. This effort is designed to close the "digital divide," which is the gap between people who have access to technology and those who do not.

Starting in 2027, South Korea plans to expand the system even further. Future AI agents would be personalized, meaning they could help individual users with things like managing savings, supporting learning, and planning for retirement. Kim Yong-beom, a senior presidential advisor, wrote on Facebook that free domestic AI services would help Korean platforms grow by collecting more users and data over time. He also said a public AI agent could help citizens figure out which government programs they qualify for and how to apply.

The launch of these AI services lines up with South Korea's new AI Basic Act, which became law on July 21. This law creates a national set of rules for how AI can be used in the country. It requires that content made by AI be clearly labeled so people know it wasn't written by a human. The law also identifies ten sensitive areas — including education, medical care, nuclear power, and criminal investigations — where AI tools must meet stricter standards for safety and honesty.