foreign ministry-ODA meeting

▲ Participants pose for a group photo during the 17th Seoul International Conference on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in central Seoul on Sept. 4, 2024, in this file photo provided by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA). (PHOTO NOT FOR SALE) (Yonhap)

SEOUL, Sept. 14 (Yonhap) -- The foreign ministry said Monday it will host an annual international conference on official development assistance (ODA) this week focusing on the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in development.

The 19th Seoul ODA International Conference, co-hosted by the ministry and the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA), will take place Friday under the theme of "AI for Inclusive and Sustainable Development," according to the ministry.

The conference will feature a keynote address by Landry Signe, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, and three sessions covering AI and development cooperation, practical applications of AI in development and strategic partnerships for Korea-Central Asia AI ODA.

Coming shortly after the first Korea-Central Asia summit set for Wednesday in Seoul, the conference will provide an opportunity to deepen AI ODA cooperation with the five Central Asian countries, the ministry said.

As part of the conference, the KOICA will host the KOICA AI Partners Fair, bringing together 10 South Korean companies and providing them with chances to enter the development cooperation market and network with overseas partners, it added.

The South Korean government has designated AI as a priority area for its ODA as countries seek to bridge the AI divide and promote sustainable development amid the global digital and AI transformation.

Launched in 2007, the annual conference has served as a major international forum on development cooperation, the ministry said.

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