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South Korea will require advertisers to label their ads with artificial intelligence technologies from next year as it seeks to curb the rise of misleading promotions by fabricated experts or deep-fake celebrities endorsing food or pharmaceutical products on social media.
After a policy meeting chaired by Prime Minister Kim Min-seok on Wednesday, officials said they would speed up the screening and removal of problematic AI-generated ads and impose punitive fines, citing increased risks to consumers — especially older people who struggle to tell whether content is AI-generated.
Lee Dong-hoon, director of economic and financial policy at the Government Policy Coordination Office, said at a briefing that such ads were “disrupting the market order” and “quick action is now necessary.”
“Anyone who creates, edits and posts AI-generated photos or videos must label them as AI-made, and users of the platform will be prohibited from removing or tampering with those labels,” he said.
AI-generated advertisements using deepfake videos and audio of digitally created experts or celebrities, promoting everything from weight loss pills and cosmetics to illegal gambling sites, have become prominent in South Korean circles. youtube, Facebook And other social media platforms.
The government will seek to amend the Telecommunications Act and other related laws so that the AI-labeling requirement, along with stronger monitoring and punitive measures, can come into effect as early as 2026. Lee said the companies operating the platforms would also be responsible for ensuring that advertisers comply with labeling rules.
False advertising has increased due to AI
Officials say it is becoming increasingly difficult to monitor and detect the increasing number of false advertisements spread by AI. South Korea’s Ministry of Food and Drug Safety identified more than 97,600 illegal online advertisements of food and pharmaceutical products in 2024 and more than 68,950 by September this year, up from about 59,000 in 2023.
The government policy coordination office said the problem is also spreading into sectors such as private education, cosmetics and illegal gambling services, leaving the Korea Consumer Agency and other watchdogs struggling to keep pace.
Authorities plan to increase fines and impose punitive penalties next year to discourage the creation of such AI content, saying those who knowingly distribute false or fabricated information online or through other telecommunications networks could be held responsible for up to five times the damages caused.
Authorities will also strengthen monitoring and faster removal processes, including enabling reviews within 24 hours and launching an emergency process to block harmful ads before deliberations are complete. They also plan to enhance the monitoring capabilities of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety and the Korea Consumer Agency, of course, using AI.
Despite the risks, South Korea’s love for AI continues to grow
Prime Minister Kim, Seoul’s No. 2 official after the President lee jae myungSaid during the policy meeting that it is important to “minimize the side effects of new technologies” as the country embraces the “AI era”.
The plan to label AI-generated ads was announced as Lee reiterated his government’s ambitions for AI in a separate meeting with business leaders, pledging national efforts to strengthen South Korea’s capabilities in the advanced computer chips powering the global AI race.
The government’s plans include more research and development spending on AI-specific chips and other advanced semiconductor products, as well as expanding the country’s chip manufacturing centers beyond metropolitan areas near the capital city. soul For southern areas. South Korean chipmakers including Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix captured more than 65% of the global memory chip market last year.
The Ministry of Science and Telecommunications also said on Wednesday that the country’s wireless carriers will be required to transition to 5G standalone networks, which are seen as optimal for advanced AI applications due to their high bandwidth and low latency, as a condition of renewing their 3G and LTE licenses.