The AI Ecosystem Innovation Forum, celebrating the launch of South Korea's first AI-focused economic broadcasting channel, ABC (AI Business Channel), commenced on July 9. Experts from government, industry, academia, and investment sectors gathered to discuss the nation's AI transformation strategy and industrial innovation direction.
Held at the Grand Ballroom of The Plaza Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul, the forum focused on the theme 'The Birth of New Media: Industrial Revolution Driven by the AI Ecosystem,' following the ABC launch ceremony the previous day.
Im Kyu-jin, president of Aju Economy, stated in his opening remarks, "ABC aims to serve as a new media platform that organically connects AI technology, industry, policy, and economy, contributing to the development of South Korea's AI ecosystem. Today’s forum seeks to explore strategies and tasks necessary for South Korea to become one of the top three global AI powers and to share visions for the new industrial order shaped by AI."
In a congratulatory address, Ryu Je-myung, the Second Vice Minister of Science and ICT, noted, "The global AI competition has escalated into an astronomical investment race," and outlined the government's plans to enhance national AI competitiveness through AI infrastructure, model competitiveness, and next-generation AI. He emphasized the 'Everyone's AI' project, aimed at ensuring that all citizens learn AI just as they learn the Korean language and arithmetic, with a goal of ushering in an era of one AI agent per person by the end of the year.
Keynote speaker Lee Sedol, a former professional Go player and special professor at UNIST, addressed the topic 'Ten Years After AlphaGo: The Era of New Illiteracy.' He highlighted the widening gap between those who understand and utilize AI and those who do not, likening it to illiteracy. He cited examples from the Go community, where the ability to use AI has increased disparities among players, asserting that no matter how advanced AI becomes, it cannot replace human beliefs, philosophy, and insights grounded in narrative.
Jung So-young, CEO of NVIDIA Korea, discussed 'The New Industrial Revolution Led by AI Factories,' predicting that data centers are evolving from cost centers into profit-generating factories that produce intelligence and tokens. She identified agentic AI and physical AI as the next battlegrounds, positioning South Korea as a key partner in the physical AI era due to its semiconductor and manufacturing competitiveness.
In the afternoon, sessions focused on specific industries continued. In the 'AI & Tech' session, Park Hye-young, a principal solutions architect at Amazon Web Services (AWS), explored the reasons behind varying outcomes from the same AI implementations, offering insights into successful enterprise AI adoption. Following her, Yoon Sung-ho, CEO of MakinaRocks, presented real-world applications of physical AI in solving challenges in manufacturing.
The 'AI & Finance' session featured Lee Jin-young, head of the Premier Family Office at Shinhan Bank, who shared strategies for asset management amid the AI investment boom, while Choi Chang-kyu, head of ETF research at Mirae Asset, discussed methods for selecting exchange-traded funds (ETFs) using AI.
Finally, in the 'AI & Industry' session, Lim Sung-shin, head of the AI Development Division at Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), presented on 'Developing Aerospace Weapon Systems with AI and Software,' forecasting that the future of aerospace weapon system development will be determined by the speed of intelligence evolution, surpassing mere platform performance competition.
The ABC launch celebration will continue until July 10, concluding with a breakfast meeting at the National Assembly to present policy proposals generated during the forum.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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