Seoul, September 10: Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly seen as a central element of national security, with experts warning that powerful nations equipped with advanced AI infrastructure could use the technology to pressure countries with weaker capabilities.
At the 26th World Knowledge Forum (WKF) in Seoul, AI leaders emphasized the growing importance of “Sovereign AI,” a framework where nations independently develop, control, and operate AI systems, including data and computing infrastructure, within their own borders.
Martin Kon, former president and chief operating officer of Canadian AI firm Cohere, explained that Sovereign AI extends beyond geographic borders. “It means having sovereignty within one’s own data environment,” he said, emphasizing that sensitive information, such as national security data, should not be stored on foreign servers. Cohere, an AI startup specializing in enterprise-scale large language models (LLMs) and generative AI, has collaborated with Korean companies, including co-developing an inference-based LLM with LG CNS.
Park Sung-hyun, CEO of Korean AI chipmaker Rebellions Inc., cautioned that even developing nations must act now to secure AI sovereignty. “Although we cannot precisely predict the potential of AI, since AI will surpass the level of chatbots, even developing countries must secure AI Sovereignty,” he said.
Experts suggested that Korea’s best path forward lies in strategic partnerships. Park noted that while Korea cannot develop all AI technologies independently, overreliance on a single country or company risks technological dependence. Instead, he advised diversifying partnerships to balance cooperation with autonomy. Kon added that Korea should tailor AI development to its own needs rather than replicate foreign models. “Just as Korean banks don’t need to provide the exact same service as Kenyan banks, AI technologies don’t have to be identical everywhere,” he said.
Beyond AI, global opinion leaders at the WKF highlighted the need to safeguard the international community’s core values of inclusion, resilience, and trust amid rising protectionism and geopolitical tensions.
James Robinson, University of Chicago professor and 2024 Nobel Prize in Economics laureate, warned that political polarization and declining public trust in institutions have left many democracies unable to mediate conflicts or solve pressing problems. “This represents an ideological crisis across modern liberal societies,” Robinson said, calling for countries to honestly reassess their political and institutional frameworks.
Jared Diamond, UCLA professor emeritus and author of Guns, Germs, and Steel, urged global consensus on shared threats, highlighting nuclear proliferation as one of humanity’s gravest dangers. He stressed the urgency of a binding global treaty to reduce nuclear stockpiles, saying, “Excessive nuclear weapons do not help any of us.”
The 26th World Knowledge Forum, Asia’s largest knowledge festival, is organized by the Maeil Business Newspaper under the theme “New Odyssey: Navigating the Great Transition.”
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