CONFERENCE 'We are continually defining what AI talent and players will be needed'

By Baek Byung-yeul

• Published Sep 15, 2026 3:54 PM KST
• Updated Sep 15, 2026 5:34 PM KST

Universities urged to reshape education, cultivate human skills for AI age

Education experts and industry leaders called on universities to fundamentally rethink their roles in the era of artificial intelligence (AI), emphasizing that higher education must shift from traditional knowledge transmission to cultivating human-centered skills such as critical thinking, ethical responsibility and problem definition.

Speaking at the first panel discussion of the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference, titled “Beyond AI: Building human-centered leadership for next era,” panelists said that universities need to update their courses fast and try new things to keep up with rapid tech changes.

The session, titled "The human edge of AI: Reimagining global competitiveness in Korean universities," focused on how academic institutions can build human-centered AI campuses by integrating technology into education, research and the overall student experience.

Moderated by Choi Jae-boong, professor of interdisciplinary AI service design at Sungkyunkwan University, the discussion also highlighted the need to maximize human capabilities that AI cannot replace while deepening industry-academic collaboration.

Lee Ji-hyun, director of the AI Integrated Talent Development Division at the Ministry of Education, shared an experience where a senior official disagreed with her advice, saying universities should focus more on measurable results.

"In the past, when I suggested to a high-ranking official that university education should ultimately return to its essence and focus on human capabilities, I was dismissed," Lee said.

"Back then, I was told that in the AI era, universities should focus only on how many graduates they produce, not on building human skills. Today's focus on human-centered education lets me speak comfortably. Paradoxically, as AI advances, the core educational role of universities becomes even more important."

Lee stressed that the role of higher education must shift from delivering knowledge to defining problems, asking questions and creating new social value.

The director added that OECD research highlights social-emotional skills such as curiosity, creativity, self-control, empathy and openness as critical traits for the future.

"These social-emotional skills, like curiosity and creativity, help students ask the right questions, build on what AI produces and avoid becoming overly dependent on technology," Lee said. "Universities must become frontier places where students can truly build these human capabilities."

Lee Jae-wook, director of the AI Institute and professor of computer science and engineering at Seoul National University, said the rapid evolution of AI is widening the productivity gap among users based on their ability to interact with the technology.

"The performance of AI is developing so much faster than human capabilities, creating a massive productivity gap between users," Lee said. "Interaction with AI depends heavily on a person's experience and level of abstraction. Universities play a vital role in building these foundational blocks of knowledge and developing soft skills, leadership and human interaction through community."

He added that universities should become places where students can safely make mistakes, as fast tech changes are making it harder for young people to start their careers.

"Because society is changing so fast and there is no consensus yet on the right path, we must go through continuous loops of trial and error," Lee added. "Universities must serve as fertile soil for these mistakes.”

Son Henny, head of AI Education at a local AI company Upstage, emphasized that both industry and academia are operating on uncertain frontiers where new ecosystems must be defined collaboratively.

"Upstage operates at the very front line, constantly probing where the boundary lies," Son said. "Because these technologies are brand new, there are no established markets or ecosystems yet. We are continually defining what talent and players will be needed. Universities should join us in probing these boundaries by adopting AI natively across their administration and operations."

Son called for cultivating talent with entrepreneurship and ownership, asking students to lead their own lives and become “thinking partners” for companies.

"What we desperately need are people who can suggest their own roles within a company and offer their ideas on how to navigate the AI wave together," Son said.

"We need individuals who treat their lives with an entrepreneurial mindset. As AI transforms how we work, universities and industries must also digitize human experiential assets so AI agents can better understand organizational contexts."

Gregory C. Hill, chief administrative officer at the University of Utah Asia Campus, pointed out that universities are uniquely positioned to foster AI talent because they are built around the discipline of asking questions.

"A university is a collection of people who are professionally trained to ask questions," Hill said. "Professors spend their lives asking questions and seeking answers, creating a diverse community of learners. It is the perfect place to develop AI talent and prepare students to become meaningful contributors to society."

He warned against traditional metrics and rigid restrictions, asking for new testing methods and a focus on ethics.

"We must shy away from extremes, neither relying too heavily on AI nor completely banning it," Hill said. "We have to redesign our assessments to make students better at reasoning and thinking through problems rather than relying on historical assessment tools like the SAT or LSAT that merely test knowledge regurgitation. You simply cannot outsource character as a function of AI training."