Kakao Corporation Launches ‘AI Rookie Camp’ for Youth... Nurturing Future Talent

Kakao Corporation announced on the 1st that it has established the 'AI Rookie Camp,' an educational program for youth, to foster key talent for the AI era and bridge regional educational gaps. The company has begun recruiting participants for the program.
Scheduled for February next year, the camp is designed as a hands-on program where young people interested in software and AI can directly experience the entire AI development process. The initiative goes beyond simply exposing students to technology; it aims to help them understand how technology can be used to solve social issues and to support their growth into responsible AI professionals. By providing learning opportunities to students in non-metropolitan areas, where access to educational infrastructure is relatively limited, the program also seeks to reduce regional disparities in technology education and support the next generation’s development.
Over the course of four days and three nights, participants will engage in every stage of AI-powered problem solving, including problem definition, data structuring, AI model optimization, system implementation, and ethical verification. Through project-based practice—from designing ideas to implementation and presentation—they will gain hands-on experience in developing solutions and systematically learn about the principles of AI and its social impact.
The camp will be held twice, targeting a total of 100 students from non-metropolitan regions. The first session, for students from the Chungcheong, Jeolla, and Jeju areas, will run from February 4 to 7. The second session, for students from the Gyeongsang and Gangwon regions, will take place from February 9 to 12. All activities will be conducted at the Kakao AI Campus in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province, with Kakao Corporation covering all expenses, including accommodation, meals, and tuition.
Eligible applicants are middle school students (grades 7–9) from non-metropolitan areas for the 2025 academic year. Anyone with basic digital literacy or programming experience may apply. Applications are open until December 23 via the AI Rookie Camp website, and final selections will be announced in January 2026.
Jeong Shin-a, CEO of Kakao Corporation, stated, "We hope that young people will broaden their perspectives and discover new possibilities through AI." She added, "We will spare no effort to ensure that the 'AI Rookie Camp' is not just a place to experience technology, but an opportunity for participants to ask persistent questions, solve problems with AI, and undergo transformative growth."
Meanwhile, Kakao Corporation announced last September that it had launched a project to strengthen regional AI capabilities in partnership with the four major Institutes of Science and Technology in Korea (KAIST, POSTECH, GIST, DGIST) to promote balanced national growth. The company plans to establish a fund totaling 50 billion won over the next five years. Kakao Corporation is also continuing its technology-driven talent development and social contribution efforts through initiatives such as the 'KakaoTech AI School - Boss Class' for small business owners, the 'Kakao Tech Campus' in collaboration with regional national universities to train developers, the 'Tech for Impact Campus' where university students, social innovators, and Kakao developers work together to solve local issues, and the 'Visiting Senior Digital School' to improve digital accessibility for seniors.


yjjoe@fnnews.com Jo Yoon-joo Reporter