Herald Business Forum envisions future with AI

Herald Media Group hosted the Herald Business Forum on Tuesday, offering insights to help businesses make decisions that enable them to lead the global industrial ecosystem. The theme was “Surviving Technology’s Metamorphosis.”

"AI has become a key technology for national economy and security. The government will fully support companies so that they can boldly challenge the global market and achieve success,” said Park Chun-sup, senior presidential secretary for economic affairs, reading out President Yoon Suk Yeol’s greetings during the opening ceremony.

“We will expand the playing field for our businesses and strongly support them through global-centered diplomacy focused on the economy.”

Several government and industry leaders joined the event organized by Herald Business, including Deputy Prime Minister Choi Sang-mok and SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won, who doubles as chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

In her keynote speech, Lee Su-in, professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington in Seattle, introduced the concept of explainable AI and emphasized that companies can enhance the reliability of their AI systems through it.

While AI technology is being actively adopted across all industries, leading to AI-based services and solutions, there are increasing concerns about the potential negative impacts of AI. In this context, Professor Lee said, “There is a high possibility that AI can arrive at incorrect conclusions, but simply regulating it is not the fundamental solution. That's why explainable AI is an important technology.”

“The goal of explainable AI is to understand why AI models deliver certain results and it is a crucial element for using AI more safely and building reliable AI systems,” she added.

Other experts on AI also showcased how AI technology is used in emerging industry sectors including mobility and robotics.

"The use of AI in the field of material development is essential. ... Material development typically takes a decade, and for key materials, it can take up to three decades, making it a challenging task. However, by utilizing AI technology, time and costs can be reduced, and researchers can focus more on creativity by eliminating unnecessary tasks,” said Choi Young-sang, vice president of technology at Samsung Advanced Institute of Technology.

Jung Ki-hyun, executive vice president of the platform business center at LG Electronics, suggested that the most suitable place for generative AI might be at home. He presented the future of smart homes, mentioning that AI and sensors will enable spaces to perceive and adapt to users, offering intelligent living space services tailored to individual needs.

While highlighting the importance of applying AI in the industrial sector, Gauss Labs CEO Mike Kim said, “Semiconductor processes are so complex that it is impossible to detect anomalies in the production process solely from the finished products. To solve these problems, AI and data are essential."

Karim Habib, executive vice president at Kia Global Design, suggested that as the world of mobility becomes more integrated into our everyday lives, purpose-built vehicles will bring a new concept of life with mobility.

The CEO of Doosan Robotics presented the concepts of collaborative robots, and highlighted the importance of combining AI and robot motion to create them, while Motional Chief Strategy Officer Park Se-hyuk discussed the company’s roadmap to making autonomous vehicles a global reality, and presented its "smart" and safe technology and developments in sustainable products.

Some speakers discussed infrastructure as the source of innovation while noting that a wider range of energy sources has become crucial amid recent advancements in generative AI technology.

OCI Holdings Chairman Lee Woo-hyun explained recent trends in the energy industry, while LS Materials CEO Hong Young-ho highlighted ultracapacitors as a key power stabilization system essential for the global megatrends of AI expansion and the explosive growth of renewable energy.

US-based nuclear reactor design and development engineering firm TerraPower executive vice president Marcia Burkey said facilities like sodium-cooled reactors can join with renewables by providing dispatchable, clean power and flexible load-following to give balance to a completely carbon-free grid.

A special session was led by Studio Freewillusion CEO Kwon Han-sl and author Jeon Yun-ho. Kwon guided attendees through AI use cases and prospects in the K-content industry, while Jeon explained how the creativity and complexity of collaboration work will be done by AI and humans in the future.

The CEOs of five companies wrapped up the event by discussing how AI technology is being integrated into their businesses, and what challenges they face in implementing the advanced technology.