Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) introduces AI section for the first time, Gyeonggi AI Innovation Cluster also planned.

Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-ik: "We will lead in integrating AI into basic welfare, culture, and industry."

Bucheon City is actively participating in the Lee Jae-myung government's grand AI transformation, leading AI policies across various sectors, including welfare, culture, and industry. In particular, the 'Onmaeum AI Welfare Call' and 'Bucheon-style Smart Senior Centers' are representative AI basic welfare policies that garnered significant attention, with the National Planning Committee's Economy Subcommittee 2 directly inspecting them on the 16th.

In addition, the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival (BIFAN) established the nation's first 'AI Film International Competition Section' last year, and this year, advocating "Step 2," it concluded the event with a more advanced presence. Furthermore, the 'Gyeonggi AI Innovation Cluster,' which will function as a hub for the AI ecosystem, is scheduled to be established in Bucheon this December.

Onmaeum AI Welfare Call: Smart and Meticulous Welfare Services, Innovation in Information Delivery, and Administrative Efficiency
 

Bucheon City is actively promoting the 'Onmaeum AI Welfare Call' project to establish an efficient welfare information delivery system and alleviate care burdens due to the rapid increase in the elderly population and low-income vulnerable groups.

This service promptly and accurately provides a large amount of customized welfare information via AI calls to vulnerable groups with low information accessibility, and through AI voice analysis, it early detects individuals at risk of mild cognitive impairment. The response data is converted into text, analyzed, and linked to welfare projects.

For the smooth operation of the project, Bucheon City has established systems in 56 locations, including City Hall, three district offices, 37 neighborhood administrative welfare centers, and 15 welfare institutions. Following a pilot operation in May, the service officially launched last month, providing guidance on over 18,500 cases through its dedicated welfare call number (1688-0624).

This month, approximately 87,000 people were sequentially informed about the application period and methods for the livelihood recovery consumption coupon. Going forward, the service plans to provide 20 types of customized information essential for welfare benefit recipients, including reductions in living expenses, LH rental housing, government-supplied grains, vouchers, energy efficiency improvements, and health check-ups.

Starting on the 28th of this month, Bucheon will introduce AI voice analysis-based cognitive health screening for the elderly, the first of its kind nationwide. This system involves a first-stage screening via AI call, followed by face-to-face examinations for selected individuals, and linkage to medical institutions if finally diagnosed as a high-risk group for cognitive impairment.

Bucheon City is approaching this project with exceptional determination, including participating in scenario development. It is also expected that this project will innovate the information delivery system by resolving welfare blind spots and efficiently filling gaps caused by a shortage of administrative personnel.

From next year, Bucheon City will expand and advance AI-based cognitive training examinations to smart senior centers. Smart senior centers, first introduced by Bucheon City in 2021 as a national standard model, received the Presidential Award for Information Culture Merit at an event hosted by the Ministry of Science and ICT in May, recognizing their excellence.

Presenting the Future Direction of the Content Industry: BIFAN Establishes AI Section, AI Video Education Center Launched
 

BIFAN established the nation's first international competition section for AI films last year and introduced conferences and workshops. This year, it again put AI at the forefront, presenting new possibilities through the convergence of art and technology.

Over 350 AI-generated works from around the world, including the UK and Egypt, were submitted to the film festival, and 11 works recognized for their technological prowess in video, scenario, and sound met with audiences. The AI International Conference, attended by over 1,000 people, showcased the latest trends in AI content creation, education, policy, and AI creator showcases, receiving great acclaim.

The Fantastic Film School, BIFAN's flagship program for nurturing emerging filmmakers, expanded its creative spectrum this year by showcasing various courses utilizing AI technology, including the production of short and medium-length (omnibus) films and AI+XR convergence content.

Korea's first specialized educational institution for AI video content, the 'AI Video Education Center Bucheon,' also opened its doors. Last month, Bucheon City signed an MOU with SBS A&T and BIFAN, announcing its goal to cultivate over 10,000 AI professionals in the video content field over the next five years.

In particular, the center aims to create a systematic and sustainable educational ecosystem that goes beyond the one-off workshops and training typically offered at international film festivals. It also focuses on nurturing talent equipped with creative ethics and artistic sensibilities necessary for the AI era, beyond simple technical instruction.

Bucheon City plans to use this center as a landmark for an AI creative ecosystem that will enhance the future competitiveness of the content industry, leading efforts to connect region, industry, and culture.

Full-Scale Development of AI Industrial Ecosystem: AI Innovation Cluster Construction, Lighting Manufacturing Innovation, etc. 

Bucheon City is also concentrating on expanding the AI industrial ecosystem. In May, Bucheon City was selected as one of six hub regions in Gyeonggi Province for the Gyeonggi AI Innovation Cluster project. Bucheon City received excellent evaluations for its outstanding transportation network, concentration of R&D institutions, securing advanced industrial infrastructure within the Bucheon Daejang Urban Advanced Industrial Complex, and administrative capacity, having enacted the nation's only two AI ordinances.

The cluster will be established next year in Ground 21, Chunui-dong, with a dedicated area of 308.77m2 (approximately 93 pyeong). Ground 21, opened in 2019, is one of the four startup support spaces in the city. In the future, the AI Innovation Cluster will house robot-related startups that will perform AI, IoT, and platform development, and will form a network with over 190 startups in the city.

Bucheon City plans to specialize this area as a demonstration and research hub, combined with the domestic robot manufacturing and component industry.

Furthermore, a project is underway to transform lighting manufacturing, one of Bucheon City's five specialized industries, into an AI-based circular digital modular LED lighting production structure. The focus is on establishing a virtuous cycle system that re-resources lights that were previously discarded after use, with plans to support necessary equipment, sales channels, and technology until 2029.

Bucheon Science High School, scheduled to open in 2027, will establish AI robotics major tracks, the Bucheon Arts and Science Academy (BASA), and Ani-Science programs, utilizing local resources such as robotics and culture/arts. Bucheon City plans to establish an organic system with local industry, academia, and research institutions and build an active cooperation network to foster future science talent.

Bucheon Mayor Cho Yong-ik emphasized, "We will continue to lead in realizing an AI basic society, which the Lee Jae-myung government is promoting in line with the era of AI transformation." He added, "We will also strive for the convergence of a strong cultural nation with AI innovation and the creation of an industrial ecosystem."

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