[Insight & Opinion] AI Megatrends and Future Strategies

The future is uncertain. The changes brought by artificial intelligence (AI) are making this uncertainty even greater. Fortunately, there are certain unstoppable currents of change within this uncertainty. These are the megatrends. The AI megatrends can be summarized as follows.

First, the endless advancement of intelligence. Generative AI is evolving and advancing at an extremely rapid pace. It has not only come to resemble human intelligence, but has already far surpassed it. Not only language abilities and writing skills, but also reasoning, insight, empathy, emotional intelligence, imagination, and creativity are all improving dramatically with each passing moment.

This may be frightening, but for humanity it is also an extraordinary gift. Human intelligence has been the only tool to create human civilization, but now we can fully utilize a new, superior, external intelligence. If we treat AI not as a competitor but as a collaborator, human intellectual abilities will also be greatly enhanced. As the saying goes, "Humans create AI, and AI creates humans." Now, we are becoming hyper-intelligent beings on a completely different level from before.

Second, the humanization of artificial intelligence. All previous scientific technologies, such as electricity, computers, and the internet, have existed only within machines. AI is different. While it exists within machines, it has also appeared in the form of humanoid robots that resemble humans. It not only looks like a human on the outside, but also uses human language, thinks, and acts like a human. In many ways, it already surpasses human abilities.

This, too, may be frightening, but it is also an extraordinary gift for humanity. Elon Musk predicts that up to 10 billion humanoids will roam every corner of the Earth in the future. Professor Kim Sangkyun of Kyung Hee University says that humanoids will be the greatest social change we experience before we die. If AI humanoids, artificial humans that are smarter and more versatile than humans, live alongside us, the benefits may far outweigh the harms.

Third, the pursuit of humanistic capabilities. The value of scarce resources always increases?this is an unchanging truth. When powerful AI and humanoids equipped with AI overflow everywhere, intellectual ability will no longer be a scarce resource. Using AI will become so convenient that the gap in AI utilization skills will gradually shrink, and technological barriers will be significantly lowered. Conversely, as Scott Hartley, author of "The Fuzzy and the Techie," has said, humanistic literacy will play a decisive role in making a true difference in the age of AI technology. This is why we must further cultivate our ability to ask questions, think critically, be creative, empathize, and possess emotional and inspirational capacities.

This, too, is an extraordinary gift for humanity. Thanks to technologies that resemble humans and even surpass them, we have the opportunity to fundamentally redefine human identity, the reason for our existence, and the value and purpose of life.

The best way to respond to the AI megatrend also seems clear. We should fully enjoy the endless intelligence that AI can provide. We must make the most of AI. We should continuously enhance our intelligence and intellectual capabilities through AI. We should also actively utilize the humanization of artificial intelligence. AI humanoids are an extremely useful new human species. They are the new family, colleagues, coaches, and new people we have created. If we actively embrace this fact, the benefits we receive will increase accordingly. By making full use of AI, getting closer to AI, and diligently building up our humanistic capabilities, we will finally be able to move beyond an uncertain and fearful future and create a happy, human-centered era of AI.

Kim Hyeongon, Visiting Professor at Chungnam National University Graduate School of National Policy, former President of the National Assembly Futures Institute