The Republic of Korea has become “the world’s first country to enact a comprehensive law regulating the safe use of artificial intelligence (AI),” according to the Yonhap news agency.
The law in question is the “Fundamental Act on the Development of Artificial Intelligence and the Foundation of Trust.” It emphasizes that this is the world’s first “comprehensive law,” rather than a collection of rules from various regulations. The document sets out a legal framework and requirements for generative AI products, which tech companies must comply with, as well as penalties for violating them.
Specifically, content generated by generative models must be marked with an appropriate “watermark.” According to the law, companies are required to notify potential customers that their services are based on artificial intelligence and to ensure their safety.
As noted legal entities and developers “have [an] even greater responsibility, in addressing the spread of “deepfakes” and simple “fakes” that can be created using artificial intelligence. At the same time, authorities have been given the right to investigate cases related to such violations.
Furthermore, the law requires tech companies to open branches in the Republic of Korea if more than 1 million residents per day use their services or their revenue exceeds 10 billion won (6.8 million dollars). Another criterion is that the company offers its services in South Korea and its annual global revenue exceeds 1 trillion won (681 million dollars). OpenAI and Google meet these conditions.
Authorities plan to provide a one-year transition period during which they will not impose fines for violations of the law.
