North Korea silently prepares: "It will develop its own ChatGPT"

It has been claimed that North Korea has been quietly strengthening its infrastructure with the aim of developing its own artificial intelligence technology. Chung Dong-young, who is nominated for South Korea’s unification minister, announced that the Pyongyang government currently operates three separate semiconductor manufacturing facilities, two of which had not previously been disclosed to the public. CLAIM “IT WILL DEVELOP ITS OWN CHATGPT” According to Chung, speaking at the parliament, these chip factories are located in the capital Pyongyang, Phyongsong, and Wonsan. This development indicates that North Korea, which has been under technological isolation for a long time, is increasing its domestic production capacity. However, the most striking claim is that the country is planning to develop a “ChatGPT-like” artificial intelligence chatbot. According to experts, North Korea’s production of such artificial intelligence seems unlikely for now due to the lack of many key elements, from data sets to processing power. This is because large language models require intensive computational resources, extensive training data, and a strong infrastructure. Pyongyang, however, is deprived of these resources due to heavy sanctions, technical restrictions, and international isolation. NORTH KOREA'S INTEREST IN ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE Despite this, North Korea's interest in artificial intelligence is not new. It has previously been known to use algorithm-based technologies in areas such as cyber operations, hacking efforts, and propaganda software. Now, the goal may be to establish independent production capacity in this area. Chung Dong-young's statements have raised new questions regarding both South Korean security policy and regional technological balances. While the development of a "ChatGPT-like" artificial intelligence appears unlikely in the short term, North Korea's technological development is being closely monitored by the international community.