South Korea, UAE to deepen AI partnership

South Korea and the United Arab Emirates held a forum Wednesday to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, including AI-related infrastructure, semiconductors and digital services, said South Korea's science ministry.

The forum in Seoul brought together government officials and industry representatives from both countries as part of ongoing discussions under a joint public-private AI working group launched after South Korean President Lee Jae Myung's visit to the UAE last year, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Officials from the two sides agreed on the need to foster a strategic partnership in the AI sector amid intensifying global competition involving the technology.

Discussions included cooperation on AI infrastructure powered by high-performance semiconductor technology and the joint development of AI services based on each country's native language models.

More than 20 UAE officials attended the event, including Mohamed Abdul Rahman AlHawi, undersecretary of the UAE's ministry of investment, alongside representatives from Emirati AI firms and state investment agencies, according to the ministry.