Seoul: North Korea is apparently using ChatGPT, a generative artificial intelligence (AI) service developed by OpenAI of the United States, in its higher education AI studies, according to a media report Saturday. Members of an AI research institute at Kim Il Sung University were seen learning ChatGPT and its functionalities.
According to Yonhap News Agency, learning material used by the institute explained how ChatGPT generates text based on user input. Given North Korea's heavily restricted internet access, it is unclear whether researchers have direct access to the service. Han Chol-jin, a researcher at Kim Il Sung University, said the institute is focused on teaching ways to understand and acquire advanced technology and adapt it for domestic use.
Earlier this month, Choson Sinbo, a pro-Pyongyang newspaper based in Japan, reported on global AI developments and the growing concerns and restrictions surrounding China's DeepSeek. The outlet criticized Western restrictions on Chinese AI technologies, claiming they are part of an effort to limit China's technological growth. It also stated that China has developed a low-cost AI model comparable to ChatGPT without advanced semiconductors.