Team Naver and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) are embarking on the development of defense-specific artificial intelligence (AI) based on domestic technology. The two companies will jointly develop a dedicated AI foundation model and a physical AI platform for future combat systems, aiming to implement sovereign AI in the defense sector.
Naver announced on July 7 that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with KAI to collaborate on the development of defense-specific AI models and physical AI-based future combat system platforms.
The signing ceremony took place on July 6 at KAI's headquarters in Sacheon, attended by Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon, Naver Cloud CEO Kim Yoo-won, and KAI President Kim Jong-chul, along with other key executives from both companies.
This collaboration aims to combine Team Naver's AI capabilities with KAI's aerospace and defense system integration expertise to develop an AI foundation model optimized for the defense sector. The partnership will also establish a cooperative framework that spans technology development, validation, and commercialization.
Particularly, the initiative seeks to reduce reliance on foreign AI technologies and implement sovereign AI tailored to the domestic security environment, thereby enhancing technological independence and security competitiveness in the defense field.
The two companies plan to participate jointly in government-led national research and development (R&D) projects and block funding initiatives, starting with the development of the defense-specific AI foundation model. This will lay the groundwork for securing core technologies in next-generation defense physical AI and linking them to subsequent commercialization efforts through civil-military cooperation.
Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver, stated, "Technological independence in defense and security is directly linked to national sovereignty, making the establishment of an independent sovereign AI infrastructure crucial. By combining Team Naver's AI capabilities with KAI's defense expertise, we aim to strengthen South Korea's technological sovereignty in defense security and enhance the global competitiveness of the future defense industry."
* This article has been translated by AI.
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