"I think we are the best in GPU-to-GPU networking (communication) technology in Korea. We have submitted our research papers to overseas academic societies to be recognized globally."
Acryl CEO Park Oe-jin said in an interview with ZDNet Korea on the 25th, "We plan to release 'A-LLM', an AI solution that will allow companies and public institutions to easily create LLMs, around July or August."
Acryl, founded in March 2011 by CEO Park Oe-jin, a KAIST Ph.D. graduate, is a first-generation AI platform company. It develops and supplies 'Jonathan', an AI platform that allows companies and institutions to introduce AI and increase their competitiveness. AI introduction usually takes place in six stages: service planning->learning data->model learning->performance verification->distribution & operation->service provision. Acryl's 'Jonathan' is an AI solution that supports the entire AI introduction cycle as a platform.
We are also developing a solution called 'NADIA' that uses AI and data to enhance hospital information and supplying it domestically and internationally. In addition to AI and data-based hospital information, we are also interested in the well-care industry, and CEO Park is serving as the chairman of the Well-Care Association (officially known as the Korea Intelligent Well-Care Association). Last year, Acryl surpassed 10 billion won in sales and is aiming for more than 20% growth this year.
CEO Park, whom we met at an office near Gangnam-gu Office Station in Seoul, said, "This year, we will focus our efforts on expanding the public and overseas markets while keeping the private sector at the PoC (test) level." CEO Park, who received a doctorate in emotional computing from KAIST, a rare case in Korea, said, "The AI market and industry are rushing into competition between big tech companies, and the startup market is getting narrower," and pointed out that AI still offers many opportunities for startups. Below is a Q&A with CEO Park.
Park Oe-jin, CEO of Acryl Acryl was founded in March 2011 by CEO Park, who graduated from KAIST. Last year, sales exceeded 10 billion won, and this year, it is focusing more on expanding into the public and overseas markets.
= This year, it is said that AI business will be more focused on the public and overseas markets...
"The budget for the LLM (Large Language Model) AI is more noticeable in the public sector than in the private sector. Public sector projects also have advantages such as preemptive effects, repeatability, and sustainability. Several government ministries, including the Ministry of Unification, the Ministry of National Defense, and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, are carrying out LLM projects. This year, we plan to focus more on supplying our products to these public institutions."
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= What is the ratio of public and private sectors in total sales?
"Last year, it was about 5:5. This year, the public sector will likely be around 7 or 6.5. The public sector has projects that will continue to be implemented this year, following last year. It's a good start."
= Last year, Kim Gu was digitally restored and became a hot topic
"At the '84th Patriots' Day Commemoration Ceremony' held by the Ministry of Patriots and Veterans Affairs at Seodaemun Independence Park in Seoul on November 17 last year, Kim Gu, digitally restored by Acryl Consortium, read the memorial speech. This is the digital Kim Gu created through collaboration between Acryl, Vibe Studio, and Level Nine. It was the first time that a digital human appeared at a national veterans' event. It was created using 3D motion graphics and generative artificial intelligence technology."
At the '84th Patriots' Day' commemoration ceremony held at the Memorial Tower in Seodaemun Independence Park on November 17 last year, Baekbeom Kim Gu, recreated based on Acryl's AI technology, read the memorial speech for the patriotic martyrs.
=In addition to Mr. Kim Gu, they also installed Ahn Jung-geun and Yun Bong-gil kiosks using AI technology.
"Yes. Acryl, together with Viv Studio and Level Nine, installed kiosks that restored Mr. Kim Gu, Ahn Jung-geun, and Yun Bong-gil using AI and 3D technology in three places in Seoul. They installed kiosks at the Baekbeom Kim Gu Memorial Hall in Hyochang Park, Yongsan-gu, the Ahn Jung-geun Memorial Hall near Namsan, and the Maeheon Yun Bong-gil Memorial Hall in Yangjae Citizen's Forest. Unlike other kiosks, they have excellent three-dimensionality as they use AI and 3D technology."
=I'm curious about the new product that Acryl will release this year.
"It's 'A-LLM' that makes it easy for companies and the public sector to create LLMs. It's scheduled to be released this summer. It's in the final stages. It's a solution that makes any LLM easy and fast. It's included in our main product, the 'Jonathan' platform."
=Please explain 'Arum' a little more
"It is a product that changes LLM into a selection issue, allowing you to choose from several LLMs. It is a kind of LLMOps. The 'Arum' OpS contains open source giant AI from global companies such as Mistral, Llama, and Polyglot. It can be used not only in open source but also in connection with ChatGPT. It is equipped with a question-answering framework, so you can easily insert and remove data. You can search, answer questions, make recommendations, and summarize very easily. It is made for 'G Cloud' so that it can be used in the public sector. We plan to apply for the government's innovative products as well."
=What are the cases of LLMs installed by Acryl in public institutions or private companies?
"There is a lot of talk about LLM in the market. However, there are few places that actually install and operate it. There are not many LLM field projects in the private or public sectors. However, we have many use cases in both the public and private sectors. The restoration of historical figures mentioned earlier is a representative example. We also distributed it to the Defense Research Institute, the Administrative Research Institute under the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, the Ministry of Unification, and Samsung Hospital in the private sector. The LLM we created is not something that exists on paper (research papers). It was created based on various problems that we felt while operating LLM in the field. We can leap forward as an AI powerhouse only when the field and research papers like ours are well integrated. With this kind of installation and operation experience, Acryl will present 'Arum' in July and August." =I heard that they are also participating in the data center business.
"We are talking about a way for Acryl to operate a data center (IDC) operated by a local government. We are using the data center of that local government while doing our welfare business, and that local government has asked us to operate the data center. We plan to increase capital in the future and purchase a large number of GPUs, and we plan to put these GPUs there as well. In the future, Acryl plans to bring in good LLMs and fine-tune medical knowledge to create specialized LLMs in the medical field. It seems that Acryl itself will continue to increase data center use."
=At the end of last year, we jointly developed an AI-based medical information system, 'NADIA', with Inha University Hospital and installed it at the Tashkent Public Hospital in Uzbekistan and held an opening event there. What are the plans for expanding 'NADIA' into overseas markets this year?
"There is an autonomous region called Karakalpakstan in the upper part of Uzbekistan. The capital is Nukus. The residents are made up of Karakalpak people, Uzbeks, and Kazakhs. This autonomous region also has a ministry similar to our Ministry of Welfare. We are currently negotiating to supply 'Nadia' to three hospitals here. The MOU has already been signed. A Karakalpakstan government official, equivalent to our Minister of Welfare, will visit Korea soon. In addition to Karakalpakstan, we plan to supply 'Nadia' to Ethiopia, Mongolia, the Philippines, and Indonesia."
Acryl is supplying 'Nadia', a hospital solution based on AI and data, overseas. Overseas medical staff are holding a paper document expressing their gratitude to Acryl.
=Aside from overseas supply cases of 'Nadia', which Acryl calls an 'AI hospital', are there any domestic hospital cases?
"We are talking with Jeju Wooridulnokji International Hospital in Korea. We are also discussing with a local dental school."
= As a technology company, I am curious about the technology areas that will be the focus of this year.
"One of the important technology tasks of Acryl this year is to strengthen the connection between 'Nadia' and 'Jonathan'. There are many regulations on data utilization in our country. So, we are trying to supply 'Nadia' and 'Jonathan' together from the beginning in environments or sites where 'Nadia' is first introduced. In order to create such cases, we are strengthening the connection between the two products technically. Developing countries are also well aware of the need for AI-based medical information systems these days. This need is also the reason for strengthening the connection between the two products. Strengthening the connection between the two products greatly benefits the client hospital. The hospital simply has to operate. We will take care of the AI and data required for this. Acryl Solution provides and solves the AI and data required to improve hospital operation efficiency and maximize profits."
= New AI technologies and products are pouring out every day. Due to the high price of AI semiconductors that are causing shortages, the domestic and international AI industry and market are also changing into competition between big tech companies with huge funds. It is said that every time a global big tech company releases a new product, dozens or hundreds of related startups are shaken. How is Acryl coping with this environment? "I think startups that think they should close their business when OpenAI or Meta releases a new AI or technology are inherently unstable in business. It's an inherent problem. They would have been affected even if they weren't big tech companies. There's always a question that all startups get when they receive investment. "What if big tech companies do that business?" There's probably no startup, including me, that hasn't been asked this question. For example, GPT Store came out, so it failed. It's one of two things. The startup lied or didn't have the technology. I think there's a bigger problem with startups that failed than with big tech companies.
It looks like it's raining, but there's still a lot of dry ground. There's a long way to go before the technology that just came out is commercialized. We're currently conducting five clinical trials, and the AI performance that we've trained is very good. However, it falls short when we actually go into clinical trials. AI is only effective when it meets defined data. Commercialization is another problem. Even if it rains a lot (even if big tech companies release new AI products one after another), there's still a lot of dry ground that hasn't been touched. Between big tech companies Although it is going to be competitive, (AI) still has opportunities for startups."
=You said you are focusing on increasing GPU utilization...
"Yes. It is another differentiated performance of our main AI platform, 'Jonathan'. The learning speed does not double just because two GPUs are attached. That is why we are