New AI Procurement Innovation Division launches Friday to oversee full cycle from service development to system operations
A dedicated unit to serve as the control tower for AI transformation in public procurement has officially launched.
The Public Procurement Service said Friday it has established a new division — the AI Procurement Innovation Division — to drive the full-scale AI overhaul of public procurement, with operations beginning the same day.
The division will serve as the control tower for the AI transformation of public procurement, overseeing AI strategy development and external cooperation while identifying demand and ideas for AI services at procurement sites and advancing related projects. It will also manage procurement data infrastructure and AI systems, and plans to directly develop AI services and AI agents for use across procurement operations.
Public procurement involves a wide range of client agencies and procurement companies and accumulates vast amounts of data on contracts and prices. Applying AI to that data can boost operational efficiency while delivering more convenient and tailored services to businesses and client agencies at the same time.
Earlier this year, the Public Procurement Service established a master plan for the phased introduction of AI services across all stages of public procurement. It has since moved quickly to expand AI use in procurement work — developing and deploying an AI-powered "intelligent estimated price preparation support system" for goods procurement, as well as an AI agent that pre-reviews request-for-proposal documents and bidder qualification requirements for general service contracts.
"As the government pursues an AI transformation across the nation with the goal of becoming one of the world's top three AI powers, public procurement must also actively embrace AI and lead the way in this new era of change," Public Procurement Service Commissioner Baek Seung-bo said. "We will combine the agency's accumulated experience with AI to proactively respond to a changing environment and deliver procurement service innovation that people can feel in their daily lives."
kwonhl@heraldcorp.com
