Digital Connectivity and Immediacy Highlight Importance of International Order
Need for Digital Development and Regulation...Strong Sanctions for Regulatory Violations
On the third day of his visit to France, June 21 (local time), President Yoon Suk-yeol declared the 'Paris Initiative,' which concretizes the establishment of a new digital order, stating, "An international organization for the establishment of digital order norms must be established."
President Yoon attended the 'Paris Digital Vision Forum' held at Sorbonne University in Paris that morning and said, "Digital technology knows no borders and possesses connectivity and immediacy. Therefore, a universally accepted digital order is important."
The forum was held to discuss the direction of digital norms and explore global cooperation measures with leading European scholars amid the worldwide focus on establishing AI ethics norms due to the spread of ChatGPT and other technologies.
In his opening remarks, President Yoon mentioned, "AI technologies such as ChatGPT, Bard, and LLaMA have reached the realm of creativity, which was traditionally considered a uniquely human domain, based on language comprehension capabilities," adding, "While they produce remarkable achievements through collaboration between humans and AI in invention, technological development, and artistic creation, they also cause tremendous confusion regarding the source of originality and legal rights."
He highlighted the reality that around 40 AI-related legislations have been passed worldwide, and several countries, including Korea, are preparing digital rights charters, emphasizing the urgent need to establish a universally accepted international digital order.
President Yoon further stated, "The digital realm must contribute to expanding human freedom and must not be used to suppress freedom. This principle should be established first," and explained, "Digital development and use should be open to everyone, and for this, digital literacy education is essential," adding, "Measures to close the digital skills gap should be sought collectively at the international level."
He stressed inclusivity that applies not only to AI but also to data, computing capabilities, and all stages of digital development from basic to advanced, emphasizing the necessity of an international organization.
President Yoon particularly urged, "Digital development and use must not pose risks to the community; information about risks should be shared and disclosed immediately," and called for "the creation and maintenance of a regulatory system where appropriate corresponding measures are taken." He added, "Violations of such regulations should be treated as illegal acts and met with strong sanctions."
He proposed, "I suggest establishing an international organization to enact digital order norms that concretely apply the fundamental principles of digital ethics norms to our digital economic and social activities and serve as standards," expressing the view that "it is meaningful to have diverse discussions on the establishment of such an international organization, and it is desirable that a UN-affiliated agency lead the effort to reach international consensus."
President Yoon reiterated, "The establishment of an international organization for the enactment of digital ethics norms is an urgent matter for the future we must build together and can no longer be postponed."
The forum was attended by Marcus Gabriel, a German philosopher from the University of Bonn recognized as one of the world’s top philosophers; Raja Chatila, a Sorbonne University professor leading AI ethics discussions in Europe; and Daniel Andler, France’s leading expert in AI humanism.
Also present were prominent French figures such as Maurice L?vy, former chairman of the global communications giant Publicis; novelist Bernard Werber, who conveys messages from scientific and humanities perspectives; and Fleur Pellerin, a second-generation Korean and the first Asian to serve as a French minister, currently president of Cor?lia Capital.
Lee Do-woon, spokesperson for the Presidential Office, introduced an anecdote during a press briefing at the local press room in France, recounting how President Yoon discussed the need to prepare digital norms when meeting with Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, and Elon Musk, chairman of Tesla, calling it "a very timely proposal in the international community."
He added, "Recently, UN Secretary-General Ant?nio Guterres also made similar remarks," and said, "Because President Yoon, who has significant influence in the international community, proposed this, discussions in the international community will become more active. If an international organization and norms are actually established, there is a high expectation that at least a system will be created where we do not suffer disadvantages."
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