"You don't know much about AI, do you?" Ahn Cheolsoo asks... Kim Moonsoo replies, "I use it every day"

People Power Party Group A Debate... Fierce Exchange over AI
Ahn Cheolsoo: "A Leader Must Find the Right Experts"
Kim Moonsoo: "If Elected President, I Will Invite Candidate Ahn"

Kim Moonsoo, former Minister of Employment and Labor, and Representative Ahn Cheolsoo, both candidates in the People Power Party’s presidential primary, clashed over support measures for the artificial intelligence (AI) industry during a candidate debate on April 19.

Representative Ahn, a former physician and IT expert, said to former Minister Kim, "You don't know much about AI, do you?" Kim responded, "I may not know as much as Candidate Ahn, but I use it every day."

Yonhap News

At the first Group A primary debate held at ASSA Art Hall in Gangseo-gu, Seoul, Representative Ahn chose the AI field as his keyword and asked Kim, "You pledged bold investments to make Korea a G3 nation in the AI era and to support ventures and startups. Where and how do you plan to invest boldly?"

In response, Kim stated, "The government's goal for AI is to become the world's third-largest by 2030," adding, "First, we need to invest in AI research institutes, university departments related to AI, and industrial venture companies."

Representative Ahn emphasized, "I serve as the chairman of the People Power Party’s AI Special Committee. When I visit the field, the biggest issues are the lack of AI hardware, software, talent, and content. These four are the core."

Ahn continued, "Many fields are developing in very complex ways. AI also has a wide scope, and there are many experts with differing opinions. A leader does not have to be an expert, but it is important to identify which experts among the broad spectrum align with the direction I want to pursue."

He then pointedly said to Kim, "You don't know much about AI, do you?" Kim replied, "I may not know as much as Candidate Ahn, but I use it every day," adding, "I use several tools, including ChatGPT."

Representative Ahn asked Kim again, "What is the most important factor for Korea to become a top-three AI powerhouse?" Kim answered, "We need to utilize quantum technology to significantly strengthen the basic AI infrastructure," and added, "We will train 200,000 AI professionals and invite people like Candidate Ahn to the promotion committee."

In response, Ahn pointed out, "Candidate Kim mentioned quantum computers while talking about AI, but these two are completely different. They should not be discussed together." He continued, "These are areas that need to develop separately. Separate research budgets should be allocated, and separate researchers should be gathered to enable their independent development."

When asked by the moderator whether he would accept Kim's offer to join the government's AI committee if Kim became president, Ahn effectively declined, saying, "I am currently the party's AI committee chairman."