June 12 (Asia Today) — South Korea’s Trade Ministry is accelerating a project to convert master workers’ tacit manufacturing knowledge into artificial intelligence data as the country seeks to preserve industrial skills threatened by aging and labor shortages.

Tacit knowledge refers to experience and know-how that skilled workers often use without writing it down. In manufacturing, it can include judgment used in process optimization, quality control, welding, equipment checks and other work that depends on years of experience.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held the fourth M.AX conference Friday at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in central Seoul. The conference focused on development and cooperation strategies for using master workers’ tacit knowledge in manufacturing AI transformation.

Officials and experts discussed how to build AI systems that can capture knowledge from industrial sites and how labor and management can cooperate in the process.

The ministry said skilled manufacturing experience is becoming a core asset in the AI era. Officials warned that if the know-how of retiring workers is lost, companies could face weaker process control, lower quality management and reduced manufacturing competitiveness.

The government is using 48 billion won, or about $31.2 million, from this year’s supplementary budget to support pilot projects for 30 manufacturing processes. The projects will build tacit knowledge datasets and develop AI models.

The ministry plans to prioritize processes with high safety risks or severe labor shortages. AI models developed through the project are also expected to be used to train new workers.

The conference included examples of AI already being applied in manufacturing. Sungwon, a stainless steel pipe maker, said it is using AI in welding work where skilled workers previously relied on visual judgment to support operators’ decision-making.

Participants said the project’s success will require data standardization, verification systems, proper compensation for workers who share their knowledge and sufficient communication with employees before implementation.

Some participants also proposed creating an advisory group of national quality masters so the project can better reflect expertise from actual manufacturing sites.

Kim Sung-yeol, head of the ministry’s industrial growth office, said the project is designed to protect South Korea’s manufacturing base.

“This project is about protecting manufacturing and manufacturing sites, which are among our core assets,” Kim said. “Because it is a project to preserve and transfer the tacit knowledge of master workers, we will do our best to help solve difficulties at manufacturing sites.”

— Reported by Asia Today; translated by UPI

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