Ministry of Planning and Budget to roll out AI across all core operations

The Ministry of Planning and Budget will introduce AI across its full range of responsibilities — including medium- and long-term strategy development, budget formulation and execution, and expenditure restructuring — to improve efficiency in public administration and the quality of government services.

The ministry announced Thursday it will formally launch "AI-ON," an AI-based work innovation initiative, to advance those goals.

The initiative centers on eight priority tasks spanning three areas: fiscal strategy and performance management, budget formulation and execution, and general administrative work.

The ministry will begin with a three-stage process: building a comprehensive database of all work materials called the "Planning and Budget Annals," developing an AI-friendly data platform, and deploying AI services.

Work documents currently scattered across individual PCs and messaging apps within the ministry will be consolidated into a central repository and converted into a format that AI can immediately learn from and use, creating an advanced knowledge database. A data platform linked to the Ministry of Interior and Safety's pan-government generative AI model will also be established.

On that foundation, the ministry will launch five core AI services: "AI Budget Assistant" for budget formulation support; "MacroView" for automatic analysis of macroeconomic and fiscal statistics; "Expenditure Magnifier" to identify projects suitable for spending efficiency improvements; "BillScan" to monitor fiscally significant legislation and National Assembly inquiries; and "Smart Report" to assist with drafting reports. Four of the five — all except AI Budget Assistant — will go into operation before the end of the year.

To help all staff use AI as naturally as a calculator, the ministry will run online and offline training courses alongside standing AI learning groups, including brown-bag meetings and study circles. Following beginner and intermediate courses held in May, the ministry will from June offer overnight training sessions at the Taean Training Center, lunchtime classes, and hands-on online courses, with one-on-one personalized assignment feedback also provided.

A new AI learning circle called "AI-X," linked to the organizational culture reform body "Vision X," will support employee-led program development and research into practical applications. An "AI Knowledge Lounge" bulletin board will also be launched for staff to share AI tips, prompts, and self-developed AI agents.

The ministry will run an "AI Youth Sherpa" program drawing on talented young people from university clubs and startups, and will hold an "AI Competition" open to both the public and ministry staff.

The ministry will form an "AI Work Innovation Task Force" headed by the director general for planning and coordination, with a dedicated AI team established under it. Staff who achieve measurable improvements through AI-based work will receive incentives including bonus points in performance evaluations and cash awards.

In addition, the ministry will migrate its messaging and collaboration tools to "Brity Works," an AI-based work collaboration platform, giving staff access to AI models even on the internal network.

The ministry said it aims "to establish a Planning and Budget-style AI work innovation model and position the ministry as a leader in AI innovation across the public sector."