"Establishing an AI Department" "Want to Give a CES Speech"... Entrepreneurs Communicating with the Government

Ministry of Science and ICT Holds AI High-Level Strategy Meeting
Over 20 Public and Private Participants... AI Crossing Industry Boundaries
Nakao, Doosan Robotics, and Others Request Government Support

On the 19th, Kim Young-seop, CEO of KT (left), and Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver, are having a conversation at the 5th AI High-Level Strategic Dialogue held at the Federation of Korean Industries in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

“After seeing the CEO of L'Or?al deliver the keynote speech at CES, I dreamed of standing on that stage a few years from now.” (Kim Seung-hwan, CEO of Amorepacific)

“If the government supports the training of engineers, ‘AI Everywhere’ can be realized in Korea.” (Ryu Jeong-hoon, CEO of Doosan Robotics)

“I propose the establishment of a specialized AI department.” (Yong Seok-woo, President of Samsung Electronics Visual Display Business Division)

The public and private sectors gathered in one place to strengthen AI competitiveness at the national level. Government officials and corporate leaders all came together for the ‘5th AI High-Level Strategic Dialogue’ to explore AI policy directions. Reflecting how AI technology crosses industrial boundaries, business leaders representing the robotics and cosmetics industries participated for the first time, and the meeting was unusually held fully open to the public.

On the morning of the 19th, the 5th AI High-Level Strategic Dialogue was held at the Federation of Korean Industries Plaza in Yeouido, Seoul, with Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT in attendance. The AI High-Level Strategic Dialogue is a representative-level consultative body where the public and private sectors jointly discuss policy and investment directions and cooperation plans to enhance national AI competitiveness.

At CES, the electronics and IT exhibition held last week in Las Vegas, USA, it was confirmed that AI technology is spreading comprehensively across our daily lives and devices beyond industrial boundaries. Based on the consensus that AI normalization is a survival strategy and that failure to fully commit will lead to obsolescence, this meeting was convened swiftly.

Including Lee Jong-ho, Minister of Science and ICT, Ko Jin, Chairman of the Digital Platform Government Committee, Kim Young-seop, CEO of KT, and Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver, business leaders are taking a commemorative photo before the meeting at the 5th AI High-Level Strategic Dialogue held on the 19th at the Federation of Korean Industries in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Not only the existing domestic AI industry’s leading large-scale AI companies but also business leaders representing various fields such as Amorepacific, Samsung Electronics, Doosan Robotics, and KT, as well as CES Innovation Award-winning companies, gathered in one place. First, the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP) reviewed AI trends observed at CES 2024. The theme of the CES event, which involved over 4,300 companies, was ‘AI spreading across all industries and daily life.’ It also highlighted the rise of on-device AI alongside the spread of large-scale AI and the acceleration of collaboration between traditional industries and digital companies.

Following this, a discussion among business leaders took place. Kim Seung-hwan, CEO of Amorepacific, who was the first to speak, said, “I wondered why we were invited to the strategic dialogue, but I think it reflects interest and consideration for traditional industries.” He added, “We are a consumer goods company manufacturing and selling cosmetics and household products, but we have been paying close attention to digital transformation.” He continued, “Seeing L'Or?al, the world’s number one beauty company, deliver a keynote speech at CES inspired me to dream of standing on that stage a few years from now.”

CEO Kim announced plans to utilize AI technology across all areas, from product planning to content creation and advertising, to improve work efficiency. He also anticipated that by leveraging AI technology, the company could enhance its customized business by providing personalized cosmetics tailored to individual consumer needs, skin tones, and concerns. He emphasized, “We desperately need help from tech companies and large corporations,” and said, “If we create an ecosystem from a two-handed perspective, we will be able to effectively utilize AI technology to develop K-beauty for customers worldwide.”

Ryu Jeong-hoon, CEO of Doosan Robotics, began by saying, “I was surprised by the speed, as experts from various industries are discussing strategic dialogue less than a week after the CES event.” He stated, “We will provide solutions for ‘motion,’ which adds software (SW) to robots to make them move like humans,” and added, “This has greater scalability and development potential than machines.” He stressed the need for government support to deploy AI and robotics engineers appropriately.

Yong Seok-woo, President of Samsung Electronics Visual Display Business Division, said that on-device AI can process sensitive data securely without external transmission and provide consistent performance. He noted that it can also contribute to eco-friendliness by reducing energy consumption. He publicly proposed the establishment of an AI department, stating, “Continuous training of AI specialists is necessary,” and “Like the establishment of semiconductor departments, there is a need for specialized AI departments and support measures.”

At the 5th AI High-Level Strategic Dialogue held on the 19th at the Federation of Korean Industries in Yeouido, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Seoul, Minister Lee Jong-ho of the Ministry of Science and ICT and business leaders are engaged in discussions related to AI. Photo by Jo Yong-jun jun21@

Minister Lee explained, “An era has opened where AI is with us anytime and anywhere in our daily lives, and major countries are already making every effort by linking infrastructure development and investment with companies and the nation as one.” He added, “To avoid falling behind, we must unite national capabilities beyond the boundaries of companies and industries for AI-based growth and leap forward. I hope today’s meeting will be the starting point.”

CEs Innovation Award winners Kang Seong-hoon, CEO of Studio Lab; Lee Dong-yoon, CEO of Ant Reality; Kim Nok-won, CEO of DeepX; Yoo Su-yeon, CEO of Nation A; and Kim Jeong-hyun, CEO of Rebuilder AI, emphasized the importance of nurturing startups with excellent technology in an era where AI is at the center of all discussions. They also stated that with systematic government policy support, they will contribute not only to corporate growth but also to overseas exports and job creation.

Choi Soo-yeon, CEO of Naver; Jeong Shin-ah, designated CEO of Kakao; and Bae Kyung-hoon, Director of LG AI Research Institute, introduced their companies’ future efforts to develop AI models and services to contribute to the AI normalization era and requested related government interest and support. Notably, Kakao announced on-site for the first time the development and release of its multimodal language model ‘Honeybee.’

Ko Jin, Chairman of the Digital Platform Government Committee, introduced various cases of innovative AI technology adoption contributing to solving diverse problems in the public sector and economic and social fields. Chairman Ko said, “We will accelerate the spread of such cases in the future to improve the quality of life for the people.”

In his closing remarks, Minister Lee said, “Concerns such as high interest rates, low growth, low birthrate, and aging population continue domestically and internationally, and we have once again confirmed that the breakthrough lies in AI-based innovation.” He added, “We will reflect the suggestions made today in the establishment and promotion of AI convergence innovation and normalization support policies this year and devote all our efforts.”