[Insight & Opinion] Beware the AI Craze

The entire world is becoming deeply immersed in artificial intelligence (AI). This transformation was triggered by the launch of ChatGPT, a generative AI based on large language models (LLMs), which first appeared in November 2022. The government has also begun an all-out push to become one of the world's top three AI powerhouses. Not only is it investing 100 trillion won in AI, but it has also pledged to pour an additional 700 trillion won into semiconductors, which are considered essential for AI. This is, without exaggeration, the largest investment since the founding of the nation.

The government has also reorganized its structure to focus on AI. The Ministry of Science and ICT, which oversees AI policy, has been elevated to the level of Deputy Prime Minister, and the presidential office has established a new Chief of AI position, replacing the previous Chief of Science and Technology. The Ministry of Education has also created the "AI Talent Support Bureau" dedicated to fostering AI professionals. Every government policy is now saturated with "AI."

Universities are also responding sensitively. Schools with "artificial intelligence" or "AI" in the names of their departments are springing up everywhere. In fact, at 14 universities in the Seoul metropolitan area, the number of AI-related departments increased from 15 to 22 over the past two years, and the number of full-time faculty members rose from 91 to 203. Some universities even boast about hiring as many as 38 "AI convergence faculty members" at once, completely disregarding the boundaries between departments and disciplines. While this might be understandable for companies or research institutes, it is hardly appropriate for universities, which should emphasize the balance of academia and education. Nevertheless, the media welcomed these moves enthusiastically.

Prospective students are changing as well. There is a clear increase in applicants to AI-related departments, both in early and regular admissions. AI is not only popular in the natural sciences and engineering fields. The competition rate for the Language & AI Convergence Department at Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, which emphasizes the convergence of linguistics and AI, soared to 53.2 to 1. It is now possible to imagine AI convergence departments emerging even in music and fine arts colleges.

It is nothing new for universities to pay attention to new policy directions or the future prospects of industries. However, anything that fills up is bound to overflow. This is especially true for trends that arise for political purposes. In fact, entrepreneurship, bio, nano, green, and creative were all like this. Hastily crafted national philosophies, policies, and initiatives made behind closed doors have even shorter lifespans. Expecting AI to be an exception is nothing but premature optimism.

The loud claims by some media outlets that industrial demand and achievements for AI have been confirmed globally are clearly exaggerated. There is also a definite presence of "AI skepticism" and "AI bubble" arguments, pointing out that the generative AI boom sparked by ChatGPT has yet to produce tangible results in the corporate world. We must not forget the confusion and pain experienced during the dot-com collapse more than 20 years ago. Even if the AI bubble bursts, we must survive.

To believe that the eloquence of generative AI equates to "intelligence" is a complete misconception. As linguist Noam Chomsky has clearly pointed out, the generative AI that is currently captivating us is nothing more than a "high-tech plagiarism system." There are also concerns that the shallow plagiarism of imitation AIs like ChatGPT or Gemini, which rely on probabilistic analysis of internet document structures, is seriously contaminating human civilization.

Even the largest investment since the founding of the nation should not be blindly trusted. The principle that "big things never die" does not always hold true, even in the game of Go. Now is the time to calmly and diligently strive for the development of genuine AI-one that can distinguish truth from falsehood, good from evil, and is armed with infinite imagination and curiosity.

Lee Deokhwan, Professor Emeritus at Sogang University, Chemistry & Science Communication