[Kim Daesik & Kim Hyeyeon's AHA] "AI Tools Will Enhance Human Branders' Value"

④ Choi Jang-soon Creative Director

"AI has anti-branding elements"
"Differentiation is clear through experiences of failure and pain"

Editor's NoteAsia Economy has decided to explore, from the perspectives of engineers and artists, what changes the rapidly advancing generative AI will bring to the field of artistic creation and what 'humans' should contemplate. Accordingly, we have prepared a monthly corner where Professor Kim Dae-sik of KAIST's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon (CEO of Yeonist) either have dialogues with artists or discuss works. The title of the corner, 'AHA,' stands for 'AI, Human & Art.' Through Professor Kim Dae-sik, who passionately explores the future of generative AI, and choreographer Kim Hye-yeon, who boldly integrates generative AI with dance, we hope you take a step closer to the profound themes of AI, humans, and art.

While machines are capable of producing a large quantity and working tirelessly, artificial intelligence (AI) is challenging the realm of human creativity and originality. How to respond to this challenge is arguably the greatest concern and task humanity faces today. Choi Jang-soon, Creative Director and CEO of Element Company, who deciphers the meaning of brands and produces new meanings, how does he view the relationship between creation and AI?

He designs and breathes life into the entire process of 'branding-business,' from evaluating brand assets and creating brand names to visual design and business model development. He argues that as a human, cultivating one's own identity and uniquely human charm is the way for humans and AI to coexist.

Choi Jang-soon Creative Director / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

-It is very interesting that you majored in linguistics. How do you view the situation where ChatGPT generates text? Do you think ChatGPT truly understands language?

▲Modern linguistic theories cannot fully decode how ChatGPT operates. Noam Chomsky regarded language as a uniquely human domain, but his theory is somewhat outdated now. So I want to ask this: in conversations between people, is true understanding really achieved, and is communication properly occurring? The communication model we commonly know involves encoding and decoding processes. Most people believe that after decoding, i.e., understanding, they re-encode in another form.

However, in reality, we often do not fully understand the meaning of what we say. The interpretation varies depending on how a word is used in a particular context and how its meaning relates to past experiences. This can be divided into three layers: first, the author's intended meaning; second, the meaning inherent in the text itself; and third, the meaning the reader can interpret. Since the meaning I intend and the meaning the other person interprets can differ, perfect understanding may not be achieved. I think interaction with ChatGPT might be a similar situation. Therefore, whether GPT understands language or not may not be a crucial issue.

"Is true understanding achieved in conversations between people?"

-I am curious how philosophy and linguistics help in branding work.

▲I tend to apply semiotics, structural linguistics, and philosophical concepts to branding work. Many people think that applying humanities means directly using the names or theories of specific scholars. In business administration, usually only frameworks like 3C or SWOT analysis are used. In contrast, I apply sequences of humanistic concepts to brand management or utilize various schemas such as Kant's twelve categories.

This approach offers a new perspective different from the business approach. Through humanistic frameworks, one can deeply understand the essence of a brand and establish more differentiated strategies. Such an approach facilitates smoother communication with clients and enables more creative and innovative branding.

"Understanding essence through humanities frameworks, more creative and innovative branding"

-Does a brand serve to express concepts already existing in people's minds, or does it implant completely new concepts? If it can implant new concepts, I wonder if this can act like a cognitive virus influencing people's thoughts.

▲The role of a brand varies depending on the situation. First, simply organizing existing concepts well can increase corporate value. When a company has multiple business models, even employees may have low understanding. In such cases, simplifying and clearly organizing complex concepts is the brand's primary role.

Second, a brand can also inject completely new concepts. For example, in the traditional era of horse-drawn carriages, a whip business might think that making better whips is essential.

However, with the advent of internal combustion engine cars, better whips became useless. If they had redefined themselves as an 'energy catalyst business' and imagined a new business, they could have engaged in a new form of energy business. This way of injecting completely new concepts acts like a cognitive virus, redefining the essence of a company and enabling adaptation to change. In conclusion, a brand can both clarify existing concepts and inject new concepts to redefine the company's essence.

"Injection of new concepts, new definition of essence"

It is important to appropriately balance these two approaches depending on the situation. This is possible because a shared semantic context exists. For example, from the concept 'the horse runs fast,' semantic codes like 'energy' and 'facilitating' are shared, allowing expansion based on semantic similarity. This process is similar to how GPT expands meaning within the input context.

The role of a brand is to clearly define such meanings and identity and effectively communicate them. Redefining the brand's essence based on semantic context and thereby increasing corporate value is what we do.

"Value increase through essence redefinition"

-Personal branding is also an important asset. In this context, what are the similarities and differences between corporate branding and personal branding? Also, how is personal branding achieved, and what value can it create?

▲The biggest difference between corporate branding and personal branding lies in the sense of purpose. Corporate branding has a clear capital-oriented purpose and outwardly promotes consumer-friendly messages but ultimately connects to money. In contrast, personal branding has diverse and hard-to-define purposes. Since each person has different goals, personal branding is a somewhat complex issue.

You asked about the difference between AI-created art and human-created art, which connects to the analysis of the sender. Currently, many people evaluate machine-produced results as superior to human-made ones, but I think the important point is the sender. Self-branding is ultimately branding the sender.

For example, semiotician Algirdas Greimas analyzed the structure of folktales and explained the relationships among sender, receiver, and message. Similarly, AI-generated outputs contain the orientation of a particular subject, with opponents and helpers existing. The difference between AI art and human art depends on the sender's intention and background. Therefore, understanding the sender's role and intention is important.

"Sender's intention and background are important"

Vincent van Gogh's work "Wheat Field with Cypresses" (left) and an image generated by ChatGPT upon the command "Draw a picture similar to van Gogh's work."

-Can humans truly perceive AI-created art as genuine art? Since AI cannot have a unique identity, is it impossible for AI artists to exist?

▲Yes, I agree. AI lacks personal characteristics and pathos, i.e., suffering. Humans grow through suffering, and that process is embedded in art. The reason Van Gogh's paintings are loved is because we know his story of suffering and growth. The value of art lies not in the mere product but in the process and the creator's story. Easily made works are considered cheap, but works by artists who succeeded in difficult environments are valued higher.

I agree with Director Lee Dae-hyung's mention of the concept of 'aura' in the April issue of AHA. The essence of aura is distance. Famous celebrities or pop stars have aura because we cannot easily approach them. Narrative is more important than information. Information is valuable only when new, but narrative evolves through long traditions and communal wisdom. In modern society, short snap videos do not allow narratives. While AI creation's freedom may be expanding, I think this freedom is rather being exploited.

"The essence of aura is distance"

-In the near future where AI becomes widespread, how will companies, individuals, and brands be affected? Or will they remain unaffected?

▲The impact of AI on brands is already evident in the field from a productivity perspective. AI is very useful in creating or managing brands. Thanks to this, time for acquiring knowledge and deep thinking has increased. From this perspective, AI greatly enhances productivity not only in branding but across entire careers. The concept of a brand implies exclusivity, selectivity, and minimum quality assurance. However, knowledge produced by GPT is not yet 100% reliable. Therefore, in this regard, AI can be said to have anti-branding elements.

Borrowing from Baruch Spinoza's 'Ethics,' an entity is the process of accumulating power itself. And the strategy for an entity is to transition from the low completeness of sadness to the high completeness of joy. An entity can shrink into sadness or expand into joy. As a brander, I think AI helps expand individual capabilities. By utilizing new possibilities provided by AI, personal brands can be further developed.

"AI knowledge not yet 100% reliable"

-In the future, AI tools like 'Brand GPT' might emerge. Could one pay a subscription fee, press a button, and get a perfect brand strategy tailored to that company in 5 seconds?

▲Yes, I think it's possible. On the other hand, the emergence of such AI tools might actually help me. The more AI provides mass-produced brand strategies, the higher the value of human branders with unique narratives and originality will become. AI cannot have narratives or grow based on experiences of failure and suffering, so the differentiation of humans compared to AI is clear. As AI branding becomes widespread, the aura and pathos of human branders will stand out more.

If one has a unique identity and confidence, the advent of AI will rather be an opportunity to increase value. Some may reject AI out of fear of new challenges, but we should move toward recovering diversity and authenticity. For that, more people need to recognize their uniqueness, and with this mindset, coexistence with AI while increasing value will be possible.

"Must recognize one's uniqueness"

-As AI increases job insecurity, students and parents are also concerned about career and job directions. Please give advice on the essential qualities needed now and the direction to move forward.

▲We live in an era where even machines use language. At such times, I think humility is an important quality for humans. Unlike machines, humans share emotions and can genuinely rejoice in others' happiness. Maintaining this human charm is important. Therefore, listening to others and maintaining a humble attitude are essential qualities going forward. To cultivate such attitudes, it is good to associate with people who practice humility and empathy. It will be an increasingly important era to nurture these qualities through continuous solidarity with others.

Who is Choi Jang-soon, Director?

He is considered one of Korea's leading branders. He majored in linguistics at Korea University and teaches students at Ewha Womans University College of Art & Design and Korea University Department of Linguistics. He has authored various books containing philosophy and perspectives on planning and branding, including 'The Blank of Everyday Life,' 'The Planner's Habit,' 'Discovery of Essence,' and 'Discovery of Meaning.'

Director Choi Jang-soon, choreographer Kim Hye-yeon, and Professor Kim Dae-sik (from left) are having a conversation. / Photo by Kang Jin-hyung aymsdream@

Professor Kim Dae-sik, Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, KAIST

Choreographer Kim Hye-yeon (CEO of Yeonist)