Cheonan-si, South Korea – Cheonan City has joined forces with Google Cloud Korea to usher in an era of artificial intelligence (AI)-driven smart governance. The city announced on Monday a collaborative partnership aimed at fostering a smart city ecosystem and invigorating the local AI industry.

The signing ceremony, held on April 21st, saw the participation of Cheonan Mayor Park Sang-don, Google Cloud Korea President Ji Ki-sung, and Hwang Yong-guk, CEO of Bluevisor. Under the newly forged agreement, both entities will collaborate on various initiatives to bolster Cheonan's smart city ambitions. These include the development and deployment of AI-powered robots, the implementation of educational programs focused on AI and related technologies, and support for the Regional Innovation System & Ecosystem for Universities (RISE) project.

Furthermore, Cheonan City and Google Cloud Korea have initiated discussions regarding potential joint efforts in the bid for the National AI Computing Center.

Adding practical momentum to the partnership, a proof-of-concept (PoC) kick-off event for smart administrative service implementation also took place during the signing ceremony. Bluevisor, a company specializing in AI robot solutions and non-contact AI services, showcased its cutting-edge service robot, "Temi," integrated with Google's generative AI model, Gemini. Temi is envisioned to be deployed across Cheonan's administrative functions and various industrial sectors, with the aim of delivering tangible smart city benefits to its residents.

Cheonan City officials expressed optimism that this strategic alliance will significantly enhance the city's future competitiveness and lay a crucial foundation for nurturing the local AI and digital innovation industries. The city intends to broaden its public-private partnerships to ensure that AI and smart technologies become deeply integrated into the lives of its citizens, reinforcing related infrastructure and policies.

Ji Ki-sung, President of Google Cloud Korea, lauded Cheonan City for possessing both the technological foundation and the administrative capacity to drive meaningful change. He stated, "By integrating Google's cloud and AI technologies, we can create practical innovation examples."

Mayor Park Sang-don echoed this sentiment, emphasizing that the collaboration with Google Cloud will mark a significant turning point for the region's digital transformation and the creation of new industries. He further expressed his anticipation that the involvement of innovative companies like Bluevisor will be instrumental in building an AI-powered smart city.

Cheonan City's proactive engagement with a global technology leader like Google Cloud underscores its commitment to embracing advanced technologies to improve public services, stimulate economic growth, and enhance the overall quality of life for its residents. This partnership is poised to position Cheonan as a frontrunner in the development and implementation of AI-driven smart city solutions in South Korea.

Additional Information:

Google Gemini: Gemini is Google's latest and most advanced large language model (LLM), capable of multimodal reasoning across text, code, audio, image, and video. Its integration into the Temi robot signifies a move towards more sophisticated and interactive AI service applications.
Temi Robot: Temi is a service robot designed for various applications, including customer service, information guidance, and remote communication. Its integration with Gemini enhances its ability to understand natural language, respond intelligently, and perform complex tasks.
Regional Innovation System & Ecosystem for Universities (RISE) Project: This national initiative aims to support regional universities as hubs for innovation and economic development by fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and local governments. Google Cloud's involvement suggests a focus on leveraging AI and cloud technologies to support this ecosystem in Cheonan.
National AI Computing Center: This is a government-led initiative to establish high-performance computing infrastructure dedicated to AI research and development, aiming to bolster South Korea's AI capabilities. Cheonan's discussion with Google Cloud regarding this bid indicates its ambition to become a key player in the national AI landscape.
This collaboration marks a significant step for Cheonan City in its journey towards becoming a truly smart and technologically advanced urban center, promising enhanced services and new economic opportunities for its citizens.