South Korea Unveils AI Roadmap for Round-the-Clock Welfare Care

South Korea has unveiled a national roadmap to bring artificial intelligence into welfare and care services, with the government seeking to detect health and safety risks earlier while reducing repetitive work for frontline staff.

The Ministry of Health and Welfare presented its AI Transformation Roadmap for Welfare and Care at a Cabinet meeting on Tuesday. The plan centers on an AI-supported care system designed to monitor safety, health and emotional well-being around the clock, including when people receiving care are alone at home.

Under the proposed smart-home model, AI would analyze lifestyle and health data to identify unusual patterns and warn of potential emergencies. The ministry said the current system may require a person to remain motionless for as long as six hours before a crisis is flagged. The new approach is intended to detect warning signs sooner and support a faster response.

Care facilities are also set to adopt connected equipment that can ease physically demanding and repetitive duties. Smart diapers and fall sensors, for example, could alert workers immediately when a resident needs help, reducing the need for staff to conduct routine checks every two hours during the night. The government says the shift should allow care workers to devote more time to direct support.

The smart-home system is scheduled for development and pilot testing in 400 households and 12 facilities in 2027. Expansion is planned from 2028, initially with a focus on public care services. After 2030, the government aims to extend the program to autonomous companion robots for home use, with functions including conversation, safety monitoring and health management.

The roadmap also calls for greater research and development spending. Investment in AI and internet-connected care technologies is planned through 2029, while work on physical AI and care robots is due to continue through 2030. Data gathered from smart homes and care facilities would support technology development, and products shown to be effective could be added more quickly to welfare equipment programs and linked with facility payment schedules and vouchers.

Public-facing welfare administration is another part of the plan. Beginning next year, generative AI is expected to provide consultations in plain language. By 2029, the government intends to offer links allowing users to apply for relevant support with one click. AI systems would also help identify households under financial strain and people at risk of isolation, abuse or complex care needs.

The ministry additionally plans to digitize manual record-keeping and other repetitive work at care sites. The overall strategy reflects an effort to use technology not as a substitute for human care, but as an early-warning and administrative tool that can help limited staff focus on people who need direct assistance.