Chairman Chey Tae-won: "We Must Measure Social Value with AI and Transform Capitalism"

Limitations of Finance-Centered Management Highlighted
"When Measurement Becomes Possible, Behavior Will Change"
Corporate KPIs Shifting Toward Value Creation

Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group and Chairman of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies, stated, "We need to quantify social value using artificial intelligence (AI) and, based on this, transform corporate management standards and the capitalist system."

Chey Tae-won, Chairman of SK Group, is delivering the opening address at the "Tokyo Forum 2025" held on the 21st at Yasuda Auditorium, University of Tokyo. Provided by SK Supex Council

During his keynote speech at the opening of the "Tokyo Forum 2025" held at Yasuda Auditorium, University of Tokyo, on the 21st, Chairman Chey said, "There are limits to solving social problems with the existing finance-centered capitalism." He continued, "We are facing a variety of social issues, such as the environmental crisis and social polarization," and pointed out, "Traditional capitalism has focused on financial performance, with little reward or incentive for social value." Chairman Chey also noted, "Because social value is difficult to measure, optimal allocation of resources has not been achieved, which has delayed problem-solving. Digital technology and AI can become effective tools that enable objective measurement of such value."

Chairman Chey remarked, "Once social value begins to be measured and evaluated, the standards for corporate behavior will change, and the method of resource allocation will shift from a focus on financial performance to a focus on value creation." He added, "This is a change that transforms the very structure of capitalism. At SK, we are already quantitatively evaluating job creation, tax payments, and environmental impact for each affiliate in terms of pluses and minuses." He went on to say, "In the future, companies' key performance indicators (KPIs) will not remain limited to financial results but will be set to not only avoid harming social value but also expand it each year. Such changes will bring about a fundamental transformation in management decision-making systems," he emphasized.

The Tokyo Forum has been jointly hosted by the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and the University of Tokyo since 2019 to discuss sustainable alternatives amid rapid technological advancement and geopolitical uncertainty. This year, the forum was held under the theme "Rethinking Capitalism: Varieties, Contradictions, and Futures."

On the same day, Chairman Chey also participated in the "Business Leader Session," where he discussed the potential of AI-based "Collaborative Capitalism" with Teruo Fujii, President of the University of Tokyo; Mutsuo Iwai, Acting Chairman of the Japan Association of Corporate Executives; and Hanju Lee, Chairman of Newberry Global. The event was attended by Yuseok Kim, CEO of the Chey Institute for Advanced Studies and CEO of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies; Marianne Bertrand, Professor at the University of Chicago; and other representatives from academia and industry.