Although blockchain technology and artificial intelligence are cited as key to the advancement in the "Fourth Industrial Revolution"... industries are having a hard time applying them in real-life.<br />To help cultivate leading minds in the field, research centers have popped up in recent years to help bridge the gap.<br />Kim Ji-yeon reports.<br /> <br /> Some of the brightest minds in blockchain technology, a vital pillar in the so-called "Fourth Industrial Revolution" are gathered at this local research institute in Korea.<br />They are working on finding ways to apply the technology in real-life,... including methods to improve the distribution system of agricultural and livestock products.<br /><br /> "Our aim is to foster high-quality human resources that could be readily used in the industrial sector through the application of blockchain technology."<br /><br />Through research centers like this, the government plans to train thousands of experts in sectors that can eventually apply blockchain technology on a mass scale.<br /><br /> "We hope to meet the demands of industries by training ten-thousand blockchain experts by 2022 to help the application and development of the technology."<br /><br />Similarly, the government plans to train five-thousand experts in all things artificial intelligence.<br /><br /> "Compared to China and the U.S.,... South Korea is lagging behind in terms of the advancement of AI technology. We have to develop programs to nurture high-quality experts."<br /><br /> According to the Seoul-based KT Economic Management Research Institute, Korea's AI-related market is projected to become a ten-billion U.S. dollar market by 2020... nearly doubling in size compared to last year.<br />Kim Ji-yeon, Arirang News. <br />
