AI model rivalry expands into defense sector

Artificial intelligence (AI) competition is expanding into the defense sector as domestic tech firms pivot to military applications, leveraging proprietary models and infrastructure in a market where security and data sovereignty are paramount. The shift comes as Naver Cloud and NC AI move beyond the government-led foundation model competition to target a fast-forming defense AI market. Naver Cloud held a seminar on Wednesday and unveiled its strategy for sovereign AI-based defense AI transformation (AX) advancement, outlining practical pathways to deploy AI in real-world military operations. The move follows the company’s launch earlier this month of a dedicated task force for defense AI adoption, marking its first standalone organization focused exclusively on military applications. The team, under company CEO Kim Yu-won, brings together business development, strategy, engineering and deployment personnel to accelerate military AI projects. The company is positioning itself as more than a model provider, aiming instead to build a full-stack Korean defense AI platform. By combining its