North Korea’s AI/ML Landscape: Developments, Implications, and Policy Recommendations
Introduction
Artificial intelligence (AI), particularly its subfield machine learning (ML), has witnessed substantial global progress in recent years. Yet, assessing North Korea’s AI/ML landscape poses unique challenges due to its isolated and secretive nature, coupled with constraints imposed by sanctions. Despite these hurdles, open-source information suggests North Korea is actively developing and promoting AI/ML technology across various sectors. This analysis provides an initial survey of North Korea’s AI/ML research efforts, shedding light on the country’s development endeavors across government, academia, and industry.
Overview of North Korea’s AI/ML Development
North Korea’s efforts to develop AI/ML have been consistently observed over three decades across various sectors. The country’s foray into AI/ML primarily aimed to address nationwide challenges and has recently expanded to include sensitive applications such as wargaming and surveillance. Furthermore, the state has placed a strong emphasis on AI/ML development as an “informatized/digitized economy,” as reflected in its Socialist Constitution. To spearhead these efforts, North Korea established the Artificial Intelligence Research Institute (AIRI) in 2013, which has since been incorporated into the Ministry of Information Industry. In academia, North Korea has embraced AI/ML across educational levels, with universities introducing AI-focused programs. At the enterprise level, North Korean companies have recently been promoting commercial products employing AI/ML technologies.
Study Highlights
1. Civilian Application: Nuclear Safety
In 2022, North Korean nuclear scientists published a study titled “PWR core loading pattern optimization with adaptive genetic algorithm” in the academic journal Annals of Nuclear Energy. The study demonstrates North Korea’s efforts to leverage AI/ML for nuclear safety and optimization.
2. Military Application: Wargaming/Battle Simulation
In 2022, the North Korean journal Information Science indicated a research project focused on developing a wargaming simulation using reinforcement learning (RL). This study highlights North Korea’s interest in AI/ML for military applications and its potential implications for strategic planning.
Sanctions and Export Control Implications
Despite the current sanctions regime, there are significant risks associated with North Korea’s AI/ML endeavors. These include potential breaches of sanctions by international companies collaborating with North Korean entities, concerns about the conversion of civilian AI technology into military applications, and the exploitation of cloud computing services and international conferences to circumvent sanctions and export controls.
Conclusion and Policy Recommendations
North Korea’s recent endeavors in AI/ML development signify a strategic investment to bolster its digital economy. However, the inherent dual-use nature of AI/ML technologies presents numerous challenges and potential sanctions risks. To effectively address these risks, national authorities should engage with cloud computing service providers and academic/professional associations hosting international conferences on emerging technology. Discussions should center on raising awareness of potential threats posed by North Korea and devising ways to safeguard academic freedom while preventing inadvertent support for military applications in violation of sanctions.