Representatives from major tech firms, including OpenAI and Google, have requested greater flexibility in implementing South Korea’s AI Basic Act.

Sandy Kunvatanagarn from OpenAI, along with Alice Hunt Friend and Eunice Huang from Google, met with the Ministry of Science and ICT’s AI policy team.

Jared Ragland of the Business Software Alliance (BSA), representing companies like Adobe, IBM, and Microsoft, also held separate discussions with the ministry.

The AI Basic Act, passed in December 2024, is set to take effect in January 2026. It is the second AI law globally after the EU’s framework.

The South Korean ICT ministry is drafting enforcement ordinances.

Tech representatives sought clarity on operator liability and the definition of high-impact AI applications. They also requested regulatory flexibility, citing the stricter AI regulations in the EU.