South Korea's president pledged $15.97 billion for AI, chips, robots and data centers in 2027, which could shape the tech that businesses and shoppers get to use.
South Korea plans to nearly double its AI spending next year. President Lee Jae Myung vowed on Monday to put $15.97 billion into the country's 2027 national budget for artificial intelligence and related areas, according to Reuters. That is nearly twice the amount set for 2026.
The pledge spans four areas. These are AI, computer chips, physical AI and data centers. Physical AI means robots and machines that use AI to work in the real world, rather than software that only runs on a screen. Data centers are the large buildings full of computers that power AI tools and online services.
When a government spends at this scale, it can steer which chips, robots and AI tools get built. That can affect what businesses can buy and what shoppers eventually see in stores and apps. Prices and choices may shift as a result, though the effect would take time.
The material gives only the total and the four focus areas. It does not say how the money will be split, which companies or projects will get it, or how the 2026 amount compares in dollars. This is also a pledge for the 2027 budget, not a finished spending plan. Details on how it will be divided and used are the next thing to watch.
South Korea says it will spend $15.97 billion on AI, chips, robots and data centers in 2027, but the details of where it goes are still to come.
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