[Work Revolution] "Do Not Fear the AI Era... Jobs Will Be Replaced but New Occupations Will Also Be Created"

Jang Byung-tak, Director of Seoul National University AI Research Institute

Jang Byung-tak, Director of the AI Research Institute at Seoul National University, is being interviewed by Asia Economy on the 19th. / Photo by Moon Ho-nam munonam@

[Asia Economy Reporter Seungjin Lee] Is it the end of jobs or the agent of job innovation? The debate over the development of artificial intelligence (AI) continues endlessly. Humans can no longer surpass AI in Go matches, and AI performing 2,000 trillion calculations per second threatens numerous jobs in the financial sector. Many people are anxious, fearing that there will no longer be a place for them in the workforce as AI continues to advance beyond what we can predict.

However, there is someone who firmly asserts that "there is no need to fear AI." That person is Jang Byung-tak, Director of the Seoul National University AI Research Institute (pictured). As the inaugural director of the Seoul National University AI Research Institute, which opened last December, and a professor in the Department of Computer Science, he is the top expert in AI in Korea with 30 years of experience researching machine learning (ML).

In an interview with Asia Economy on the 19th, Director Jang emphasized that although many jobs have already been affected by the introduction of AI and the job landscape may change in the near future, there is no need to fear this.

Director Jang stated, "AI continuously imitates human experience and, based on that, has deep learning technology that enables it to learn on its own. It is only a matter of time before AI surpasses human levels or even exceeds them in specific fields." He predicted that jobs focused on simple repetitive tasks will be the first to be replaced by AI. Professions requiring expertise, such as medical image interpretation, are no exception. Several domestic and international companies have already developed AI capable of providing radiological diagnostic information at the level of specialists in just a few seconds.

On the other hand, he predicted that jobs primarily involving physical labor, including some manufacturing sectors, will be relatively less affected by AI. For AI software to replace real-world labor, the development of hardware capable of realizing this must proceed simultaneously, which is expected to take considerable time. Cleaning restrooms is a representative example.

Director Jang said, "In the future, jobs that people do not want but AI cannot replace, such as environmental sanitation, will become high-paying jobs." He particularly forecasted that new jobs aligned with industrial changes due to AI adoption will be created. This is why he believes there is no need to fear losing jobs to AI. Using the automotive industry as an example, he emphasized, "Many coachmen lost their jobs, but entirely unexpected jobs were created, such as manufacturing plant workers, dealership salespeople, government officials drafting related regulations, and road construction workers."

In this regard, Microsoft suggested in its white paper "Preparing for AI," which analyzes the impact of AI technology on the Asian job market, that AI technology can significantly contribute to the creation of new jobs. The white paper also cited a report from the McKinsey Global Institute (MGI), estimating that by 2030, AI will increase South Korea's annual potential GDP growth rate by 1.7%, with an economic effect reaching $404 billion (approximately 516 trillion won).

However, Director Jang stressed the need for our society to prepare for changes in the job landscape caused by AI. He diagnosed, "Although there will be differences in speed and level, it is inevitable that AI will affect our society as a whole. Solutions are needed to mediate conflicts between employers and workers regarding AI adoption through preparations like Germany's 'Labor 4.0'." The German government published the "Labor 4.0" white paper in 2017, which comprehensively addressed labor market changes brought about by automation, digitalization, changes in the value of labor, and demographic shifts.

Finally, Director Jang emphasized, "The current global entry into the AI era can be the greatest opportunity for our country," and urged, "We must prepare for the new era by applying AI in all fields through government-level education."