Korea Water Resources Corporation and OpenAI Join Forces to Target the $64 Billion AI Water Industry Market

AI Collaboration for Global Climate Disaster Response
First-Ever Partnership with a Climate Tech Company Worldwide

Korea Water Resources Corporation is partnering with generative artificial intelligence (AI) company OpenAI to target the global climate technology market. The corporation aims to enhance its AI-based water management technology to strengthen its ability to respond to climate disasters such as floods and droughts, while also promoting the overseas expansion of its Korean AI water management model.

On May 26, the corporation announced that it had signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with OpenAI for "Global Climate Change and Disaster Response Cooperation" at the JW Marriott Hotel Seoul in Seocho-gu, Seoul. This agreement marks the first time OpenAI has entered into such a partnership with a climate technology company worldwide. Both sides plan to combine the corporation’s AI water management system with OpenAI’s generative AI technology to bolster their capacity to respond to the global climate crisis.

At a global climate change and disaster response cooperation agreement ceremony held on the 26th at a hotel in Seoul, Yoon Seokdae (right), President of Korea Water Resources Corporation, and Jason Kwon, Chief Strategy Officer (CSO) of OpenAI, are taking a commemorative photo. Korea Water Resources Corporation

Specifically, they agreed to cooperate in four areas: ▲ promoting AI transformation in water management ▲ utilizing generative AI tailored for Korea Water Resources Corporation ▲ conducting joint research on AI specialized for water-related climate disaster response ▲ and commercializing climate and water technology as well as jointly entering global markets.

The corporation has been advancing AI transformation in water management, such as implementing digital twin-based water management and building AI-powered water purification plants. These capabilities have been recognized internationally, including winning seven CES Innovation Awards at the world’s largest consumer electronics and information technology exhibition this year, as well as receiving a Glomo Award at Mobile World Congress (MWC).

According to global consulting firm Roland Berger, the global AI water industry market is expected to grow to 64 billion dollars (about 96 trillion won) by 2029. The corporation plans to use this collaboration as an opportunity to strengthen its foundation for capturing the global market.

This partnership accelerated following a meeting last October between Yoon Seokdae, CEO of Korea Water Resources Corporation, and Chris Lehane, Chief Policy Officer at OpenAI. Subsequently, OpenAI officially mentioned the possibility of collaboration with Korea Water Resources Corporation at the World Economic Forum (WEF) in Davos, Switzerland, in January this year.

Domestically, the corporation plans to secure data sovereignty using its proprietary foundation model and support the growth of the water industry ecosystem. Globally, it intends to promote the spread of Korean AI water management technology by linking with OpenAI’s national-scale AI projects.

CEO Yoon Seokdae stated, "This agreement is a starting point for expanding internationally recognized AI water management capabilities through collaboration with a world-leading AI company. We will further advance innovative AI water management technologies necessary in the era of climate crisis and actively support the global expansion of Korea’s innovative water industry ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.