MS Stresses 'Responsibility Toward the Market' Amid AI Expansion... TikTok Highlights 'Trust' [Gyeongju APEC]

Day Two CEO Summit Tech Relay Speeches
Microsoft VP: "We Will Create an Environment Where Everyone Grows"
TikTok Director: "Trust Is the Ultimate Foundation"

On the second day of the "2025 Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit," which opened on October 30, global tech leaders took the stage. They unanimously emphasized that as artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly expands, a sense of responsibility and the value of trust are essential for sustainable growth.

Anthony Cook, Vice President of Microsoft, delivered a speech on the topic of "Public-Private Cooperation for the Responsible Dissemination and Expansion of AI" during a CEO Summit session held at the Hwarang Hall of the Gyeongju Arts Center. He stressed, "We will create an environment where everyone can grow together, based on a sense of responsibility toward the market."

Microsoft highlighted its $4 billion "Elevate Program" investment, explaining that it is expanding the foundation for technology education through partnerships with educational institutions and non-profit organizations. The company also noted that it is promoting technology adoption through extensive collaboration with local organizations and companies such as the National Information Society Agency and SK Hynix, and views this not merely as an economic opportunity but as a responsibility to the market.

Anthony Cook, Vice President of Microsoft, is giving a presentation on the topic "Session 12: Public-Private Cooperation for the Responsible Dissemination and Expansion of AI" at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held on the 30th at the Gyeongju Arts Center in Gyeongbuk. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

Regarding the establishment of AI infrastructure, "sustainability" was presented as a core challenge. Despite the massive scale of infrastructure investment, companies are striving to achieve sustainability goals for 2030, which extends beyond simple data centers to include the green transformation of power supply and networking systems. Vice President Cook emphasized, "We are not just thinking about data centers," adding, "We need to consider what the power supply is and what networking supply accompanies it."

In particular, Microsoft announced plans to stimulate demand-side investment in green energy systems through a $5 billion investment, aiming to meet the energy demands necessary for AI growth. This suggests that companies must work together with governments, financial institutions, and power companies to achieve sustainability goals through public-private partnerships.

Furthermore, he stated that mitigating AI risks and ensuring accountability can only be achieved through cooperation. To address risks such as deepfakes, Microsoft is committed to responsible design from the software development stage and provides more than 30 safety tools to partners within its ecosystem. Additionally, the company is focusing on raising public awareness through public awareness campaigns.

He emphasized the importance of striking a balance regarding accountability between platform operators and content creators through informed discussions between governments and civil society, which bear the responsibility of protecting citizens without hindering innovation. He stated that the most important lesson learned from past technological revolutions is "not to widen the gap," and stressed the need to consider "how to create the fairest and most inclusive environment in which society as a whole can foster technology adoption and growth."

Eric Ebenstein, Head of Public Policy for TikTok Americas, is giving a presentation at the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) CEO Summit held on the 30th at Gyeongju Arts Center. Photo by Kang Jinhyung

On the same day, Eric Ebenstein, Head of Public Policy for TikTok Americas, gave a speech on "Digital Market Development in the Asia-Pacific Region." He described the Asia-Pacific region as "the engine driving global digital growth" and highlighted "trust" as the key driver of innovation and growth.

Ebenstein stated that the creativity of the Asia-Pacific region is leading to tangible economic value. Citing examples such as TikTok generating $3 billion in economic value in Japan in 2024 and creating over 20 million jobs in Southeast Asia, he emphasized, "TikTok is not just an entertainment platform. It is a powerful engine expanding economic growth opportunities across the APEC economies."

TikTok stated that it is focusing on building a safe and inclusive digital ecosystem as the foundation for this growth. He explained that trust "must be built through daily actions, transparency, and partnerships," and cited specific efforts such as strengthening youth safety through collaboration with Korean non-profit organizations and proactively removing 150 million videos that violated community guidelines.

Ebenstein reiterated that "trust is the ultimate foundation for all economic and cultural opportunities" and that "the path forward must be paved not only with innovation, but with trust."