Kakao announced the successful completion of the 'KakaoTech NGO AI Class' on September 9, aimed at enhancing the AI capabilities of nonprofit organization (NGO) activists in South Korea.
The 'KakaoTech NGO AI Class' was designed to help nonprofit activists utilize generative AI in their work and improve their organizations' overall AI proficiency. This program expanded its focus from last year's 'KakaoTech AI School for Small Business Owners' to include nonprofit organization activists.
During the application period, 206 individuals from 106 organizations applied, with 106 participants from 53 organizations ultimately selected. Kakao noted a high level of interest in AI training, as all selected organizations participated in the program.
The participating organizations represented ten fields, including consumer and economic justice, environment and climate, international cooperation and development, children, women and family, human rights and peace, intermediary support, social welfare and housing, civic engagement and political reform, and youth education.
The training consisted of a two-day program. The introductory course, held on September 2 at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, focused on practical applications of generative AI, including work automation, PPT creation, and Excel invoice preparation.
The advanced course took place on September 8 and 9 at Kakao's Pangyo office, where participants chose one of the two days to attend. This segment emphasized how NGO activists could streamline their work using AI, covering topics such as customized AI environment setup, issue monitoring, newsletter creation, and data management automation.
Kakao designed the training to encourage participation from both organizational leaders (team leaders and above) and practitioners in pairs, aiming to enhance individual AI skills while promoting organizational-level AI application.
All participants received a one-month subscription to a paid AI service, and an open chat room with instructors will be available for a month after the training to support practical application in their work.
Lee Seong-beom, the representative of the nonprofit organization Wonders International, stated, "I had been using AI in my work, but I participated to explore how to apply it at an organizational level with my staff. The training and practical exercises provided valuable insights on how to implement these methods in our work and how to disseminate them throughout the organization."
Shin Jeong-hwa, director of Doctors Without Borders Korea, remarked, "Having both leaders and practitioners participate in pairs allowed us to discuss how to apply what we learned to our organization during the training. We also developed follow-up plans to share the knowledge with our team members and implement it in our work."
Hong Shin, leader of Kakao's ESG Cooperation Performance, noted, "This training highlighted the significant demand for AI education in the nonprofit sector and the potential for organizational-level application. We will continue to provide practical training tailored to various needs and expand our support to multiple fields."
Kakao has been consistently operating programs to enhance AI capabilities among diverse social groups and nurture AI talent. Initiatives include the 'Kakao AI Rookie Camp' for youth, the 'KakaoTech Campus' practical training program for local university students, and the 'KakaoTech Bootcamp' for aspiring developers. Recently, Kakao launched 'Kakao AI Sail' in collaboration with the four major science and technology institutes (KAIST, GIST, DGIST, UNIST) to foster local AI talent and businesses, further contributing to the expansion of the AI ecosystem.
Kakao has also broadened its AI education offerings to the general public. In April, it conducted the 'AI TOP 100' program for high school and university students in partnership with Kakao Impact and Brian Impact, and previously operated the 'Visiting Senior Digital School' to enhance digital accessibility for seniors.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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