The government has been found to be adjusting the criteria for recognition as an artificial intelligence data center, or AIDC, toward a substantial easing compared with the initially discussed draft enforcement decree. The article interprets this as an effort to reflect industry views, broaden AIDC eligibility and support recognition of existing data centers that convert only part of their facilities to AI use. According to industry sources on November 1, the government plans to complete work on subordinate legislation under the AIDC Special Act and publish the drafts for public comment as early as the week of November 1. The AIDC Special Act was enacted to promote the expansion of AI data centers, which will serve as core infrastructure in the AI era, and secure national competitiveness. It grants special provisions, including exemptions from power grid impact assessments, to AIDCs built outside the Seoul metropolitan area if they meet certain requirements. Its main benefits are reducing the permitting burden during data center construction and operation and helping secure infrastructure sooner. The Ministry of Science and ICT initially proposed two criteria for AIDC recognition in its draft enforcement decree. The first was total power consumption of at least 10 megawatts by AI computing equipment. Under this approach, a facility would qualify as an AIDC if electricity consumption by equipment used for AI computation, including AI servers and graphics processing units, or GPUs, exceeded a specified level. The second was AI equipment power consumption of at least 300 kilowatts, accounting for at least 60% of the electricity used by all information and communications equipment. This approach determines whether a facility is AI-focused by assessing the proportion of its information and communications equipment power consumption attributable to AI computing equipment. The framework was designed to recognize a facility as an AIDC if it met either criterion. The government is pursuing an easing of the total AI equipment power threshold from 10 megawatts to about 5 megawatts. The article suggests that the decision takes account of changes in the operation of existing data centers rather than new construction. Newly built data centers would have little difficulty meeting the 10-megawatt threshold, but existing facilities are difficult to convert entirely to dedicated AI use. The industry has called for relaxed criteria so that existing centers can qualify as AIDCs even when only part of a facility is converted to AI use. For the proportional criterion, the government has also settled on a direction of lowering the minimum AI equipment power requirement from 300 kilowatts to 250 kilowatts, equivalent to about 280 GPUs, and reducing AI equipment’s share of total information and communications equipment power from 60% to 50%. Separate criteria, such as 30%, apply where neural processing units, or NPUs, and similar equipment are installed. The two criteria assess the characteristics of AI data centers in different ways. The total-power criterion grants recognition when AI equipment exceeds the specified power threshold, regardless of its share of total information and communications equipment power. The proportional criterion assesses AI equipment’s share of the data center’s total information and communications equipment power. For example, if total information and communications equipment power is 1 megawatt, AI equipment must use at least 500 kilowatts to meet the 50% requirement. The minimum power requirement of 250 kilowatts must also be met. Discussions continue over the upper limit for the assessment exemption, with the Ministry of Science and ICT proposing 100 megawatts and the Ministry of Climate, Energy and Environment proposing 50 megawatts. The discussions are reportedly leaning toward pursuing a level of 100 megawatts, taking into account the need to expand AI infrastructure and industry views. The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to gather industry views early in the week following November 1 before publishing the draft subordinate legislation for public comment.
Original Korean article: ETNews
English brief by Korea Wind Intelligence, koreawindintel.com
