[2024 Future Business Forum] Paul Button, IBM President: "Disruptive Innovation through AI... The Framework of Change is Shifting"

'Keynote Speech on the Era of AI Innovation and Infinite Collaboration'

"If we were to represent the changes brought by artificial intelligence (AI) in a graph, it would be closer to 'cutting and lifting' the curve of possibilities rather than just 'bending' it."

Paul Burton, General Manager of IBM Asia-Pacific, made this assessment on the 22nd at the '2024 Asia Future Enterprise Forum' held at Lotte Hotel in Sogong-dong, Jung-gu, Seoul. Paul delivered the keynote speech under the theme of 'The Era of AI Innovation and Infinite Collaboration.'

Paul Button, President of IBM Asia Pacific, is delivering a keynote speech on the theme of "AI Innovation and the Era of Infinite Collaboration" at the '2024 Asia Future Business Forum' held on the 22nd at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Paul raised the unprecedented changes the world is experiencing as a topic. He viewed the convergence of technologies such as AI, cloud, and quantum computing as accelerating innovation and bringing disruptive outcomes. Paul said, "If these technologies are properly implemented, they can transform vast amounts of data into valuable insights," and predicted, "They will be able to solve the most urgent social and economic problems."

He particularly focused on the impact AI automation will bring. Investment in AI systems in the Asia-Pacific region is expected to surge from about $20 billion (approximately 27 trillion KRW) last year to $50 billion (approximately 68 trillion KRW) by 2026. As many companies choose AI as a growth engine, it will also affect national economies. This is because AI automation can increase productivity. According to Goldman Sachs Research, AI is projected to raise the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate by 0.2 to 0.4 percentage points by 2034. Paul believes the extent of GDP growth depends on the speed and scope of AI adoption.

Business is also at a turning point. Paul suggested that companies should focus on improving customer satisfaction and employee productivity through AI. He said, "What is clear is that AI innovation is my work, not someone else's," and added, "Not only the technology teams but also company leaders and boards of directors must place AI at the center of their organizations."

Paul Button, President of IBM Asia Pacific, is delivering a keynote speech on the theme of "AI Innovation and the Era of Infinite Collaboration" at the '2024 Asia Future Business Forum' held on the 22nd at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. Photo by Jinhyung Kang aymsdream@

Paul presented four principles for rapidly adopting AI: ▲ securing competitive advantage ▲ utilizing open communities ▲ building AI that can operate anywhere ▲ establishing governance.

First, to secure a competitive advantage, AI must be adopted efficiently. IBM’s 'WatsonX' is also a means to adopt AI efficiently. WatsonX is an AI model trained on data from various fields such as finance, law, and IT. Companies can use models trained on data from relevant fields without having to design and build large language models (LLMs) for every AI use case. Paul explained, "IBM’s role is to bridge the gap from the AI experimentation phase to actual operation," adding, "This helps companies reduce the time it takes to realize value from AI."

Utilizing publicly available AI models is also necessary because a single model cannot meet all organizational needs. To leverage open communities, IBM has partnered with Hugging Face to share more than 200 models and datasets. Hugging Face is a platform where developers worldwide have shared over 250,000 AI models.

The third principle is to create an environment where AI can be executed anywhere. For this, Paul emphasized the need for hybrid cloud technology. Hybrid cloud is a system combining 'public cloud,' which uses external infrastructure; 'private cloud,' which uses proprietary infrastructure; and 'on-premises,' where servers or data centers are located within the company.

Lastly, AI must be operated reliably through appropriate governance. Instead of regulating the technology itself, responsibility should be assigned to those who use and deploy the technology. Paul argued that this approach reduces concerns such as information bias, privacy violations, and copyright issues, enabling AI that benefits everyone. He said, "I hope these principles will be considered in developing AI policies in Korea," and added, "We should accept the changes brought by AI with an optimistic attitude while maintaining appropriate caution."