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| Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) President Shin Sung-chul, left, and Murat Sonmez, head of the World Economic Forum's Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution, speak during a press conference at the Lotte Hotel in central Seoul, Friday. / Yonhap |
By Yoon Sung-won
The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) pledged to boost cooperation with the government, enterprises and the World Economic Forum (WEF) to prepare for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
The institute hosted a roundtable, "The Future of Jobs and Inclusive Growth in Korea," with the WEF in Seoul, Friday, to discuss how to handle conundrums such as the replacement of people at workplaces by intelligent robots.
"Unlike previous industrial revolutions, the Fourth Industrial Revolution is much faster and is unpredictable. We need new governance models for technologies while minimizing existing regulations," said Murat Sonmez, head of the WEF's Center for the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
"We need to include societies, governments, public organizations, private enterprises, startups and academia to co-design such models through global efforts. Ethics and influences on the job market should also be taken into consideration."
Sonmez said nine factors ― blockchain, internet of things, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning, cross-border data flow, drones, 3D printing, autonomous driving, environment and precision medicine ― will take center stage in the Fourth Industrial Revolution. In particular, he said the blockchain, which is a cybersecurity technology for online financial transactions, will bring even bigger change than the "World Wide Web" has done over the last three decades.
"To this end, we will have to closely work with major academic institutes," he said. "Through the partnership with KAIST, we will make the fruits of the Fourth Industrial Revolution benefit Koreans and Korean society."
KAIST President Shin Sung-chul said, "Two decades later, we will live with considerable number of robots around us. It is possible that our societies in the future will consist of Homo sapiens and robo sapiens. We need to create new jobs for Homo sapiens to prepare for a society that we will have to coexist with robo sapiens."
Doosan Group Vice Chairman Lee Hyun-soon, who has been invited to represent the business sector, pointed out that the introduction of intelligent automation systems faces objection from unions.
"Unions don't like the introduction of such technologies," he said. "We are not alone to face such a problem. This is a matter that all industries and the whole countries should think about to realize the Fourth Industrial Revolution."
Lee said businesses also undergo difficulties in hiring experts in sensor devices, AI and big data analysis due to a lack of such human resources.
"We need to help workers with simple jobs have training to become high-caliber professionals who are capable of handling new technologies," he said.
The KAIST president said industries need continuing short-term education to retrain workers for the changing industrial landscape of the future.
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