Despite achieving world-class results, the domestic artificial intelligence (AI) startup Motif Technologies has faced criticism regarding the government's evaluation system and AI policies after being excluded from a government-led project.
Recently, discussions surrounding Motif's AI model, 'Motif 3,' have gained traction across various online communities.
The controversy began with the second phase evaluation of the 'Independent AI Foundation Model (Dopamo)' initiated by the Ministry of Science and ICT.
Motif's 'Motif 3' scored 47 points on the AAII, a global AI performance metric, the highest among domestic models submitted. This score ranks it first in the world, excluding the United States and China, and places it within the top ten globally. In comparison, other submissions included Upstage with 37 points, SK Telecom with 35 points, and LG AI Research with 31 points, all significantly lower than Motif's score.
However, in the evaluation results announced on August 18, Motif received the highest technical score but ranked last overall, leading to its exclusion from the project. The government explained that the final decision was based on a combination of benchmark scores and evaluations from experts and users, indicating that Motif scored low in usability and applicability.
On August 25, the Ministry of Science and ICT highlighted in a report to a Cabinet meeting chaired by President Lee Jae-myung that Korea has joined the ranks of the world's top three AI powers, citing Motif's AAII score of 47. Ironically, while Motif 3 achieved this score, it was excluded from the project, yet the government used its performance as a benchmark for national competitiveness. In response, Motif officially raised concerns on August 27, requesting a reassessment of the evaluation criteria and methods to ensure they align with global competitiveness.
On August 28, the Ministry of Science and ICT drew attention again by announcing the results of the 'Everyone's AI' service project, selecting a consortium of SK Telecom, Kakao, and KT as the executing agency. Notably, the SK Telecom consortium plans to utilize 'Motif 3' as a core AI model for the service.
In reaction, netizens expressed disappointment, stating, 'Achieving global-level results but failing to secure project rights highlights flaws in the evaluation method,' and 'If domestic talent and technology do not receive fair assessments, it will inevitably lead to outflow abroad or dependency on large corporations.'
* This article has been translated by AI.
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