The South Korean government is inviting startups to reapply for its national AI project, with applications due for evaluation and results expected in February. Two consortia led by startups Motif Technologies and Trillion Labs have submitted proposals for the additional call, which creates an opportunity for previously rejected companies to re-enter the competition. This follows a first round of evaluations where three other teams, including LG AI Research Institute and SK Telecom, were selected, while two other large players, NC AI and Naver Cloud, were eliminated due to low scores and non-compliance with uniqueness criteria.

The context of this new opportunity, referred to as a 'Losers' Resurrection', reflects the competitive landscape in South Korea's AI sector, where established firms and startups alike vying for government support face significant pressure. The two unsuccessful applicants, alongside larger corporations like Kakao and KT, have indicated a reluctance to compete again, fearing damage to their reputations should they fail and the daunting challenge of catching up with teams that are already progressing in development.

The Ministry of Science and ICT aims to complete evaluations for the additional applications in February, announcing teams deemed capable of meaningful competition against the existing elite three. Notably, if a majority of evaluation committee experts do not acknowledge the merit of any new applications, the selection process could yield no new entrants, potentially solidifying the lead of the already selected teams in the competitive AI market.