The poster for the 2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Conference (2nd AI Semiconductor Talent Selection Competition). /Courtesy of Korea Information & Communication

The Korea Information & Communication (KAIT) announced on the 11th that it will hold the '2025 Artificial Intelligence (AI) Chip Con' (the 2nd AI semiconductor technology talent selection competition) in collaboration with the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (NIPA). The event aims to discover talents equipped with problem-solving capabilities and practical skills using artificial intelligence (AI) semiconductor technology and to consolidate them with the industry.

The AI Chip Con is a talent selection competition that evaluates participants' implementation capabilities and problem-solving skills based on technology tasks reflecting the actual needs of the industry, and supports excellent talents to connect with corporations. In the first competition held last year, a total of 39 teams participated, and 9 teams were awarded.

This year's competition, expanded to allow participation from foreigners, is composed of three fields: ▲AI semiconductor design ▲AI semiconductor utilization ▲AI semiconductor applications. Anyone, including domestic and international university students and the general public, can participate. For foreigners, the target includes residents in Korea who are currently enrolled in domestic universities or have graduated within the last 3 years as of the announcement date.

KAIT noted, "Reflecting the demands of the industry, we have increased the technical difficulty and the level of practical linkage. Participants will undertake advanced tasks and will be able to effectively demonstrate the technical capabilities required in the field."

Registration for participants will be conducted until July 4th. Through the first document screening, a total of 30 competition teams will be selected, with 10 teams for each field. The selected teams will conduct projects for about 4 months, and a total of 10 award-winning teams will be chosen through the final presentation evaluation in October.

The final selected award-winning teams will receive awards from the Minister of Science and ICT (1 grand prize, 20 million won), the Director of the National IT Industry Promotion Agency (3 excellence awards, each 10 million won), the President of the Korea Information & Communication (3 outstanding awards, each 5 million won), and participating corporations (3 encouragement awards, each 1 million won).

Corporations representing Korea's AI semiconductor field will provide mentoring, networking, and job placement opportunities to participants. Various supporting programs, including briefings, workshops, and specialized employment consulting, will also be offered to support practical skill enhancement and career growth.

An official from the National IT Industry Promotion Agency stated, "The AI semiconductor industry is not only about advanced technology, but also about securing talents capable of implementing it, which is key to industrial competitiveness." They added, "Following the first competition, we will also actively discover practical talents required in the industry this year and further strengthen the linkage with corporations."

An official from the Korea Information & Communication said, "To ensure the continuous growth of the AI semiconductor industry, it is essential to cultivate practical talents that meet the demands of the field," adding, "The AI Chip Con is establishing itself as a meaningful competition where corporations participate to discover talents and connect to their growth and hiring."

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