Four Independent AI Foundation Models Listed as "Notable Models" by US EpochAI
Only Korea, the United States, and China Have Models Listed
All four elite teams participating in the Independent Artificial Intelligence (AI) Foundation Model Project have had their models listed as "Notable Models" in a global AI competitiveness index.
The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on August 11, 2026, that America’s non-profit AI research organization EpochAI has listed the AI models developed in the first half of this year by the four elite teams in the Independent AI Foundation Model Project as "Notable Models."
Background Hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, is delivering a welcoming speech at the first presentation of the 'Independent AI Foundation Model' project held on the 30th at COEX, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News
View original imageAccording to the Ministry of Science and ICT, this indicator is recognized as a representative metric for assessing AI competitiveness, as it is used as a key metric in the "AI Index” report published annually by Stanford University’s Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence (HAI) Institute in the United States. This year, only three countries—including Korea, the United States, and China—possess models designated as notable by EpochAI.
The four elite teams—LG AI Research, SK Telecom, Upstage, and Motif Technologies—developed independent AI foundation models in the first half of this year and released them as open source, despite having relatively limited resources and conditions compared to global big tech companies.
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Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Science and ICT, Baek Kyung-hoon, stated, "Independent AI models created with Korean technology are proving their technological capabilities on a global level and demonstrating our nation’s potential. Now that we must compete alongside the world’s leading countries on an even bigger stage, we will spare no effort to ensure that tangible achievements continue for our people to experience."
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