Jung Da-hyun is a reporter at The Korea Times, covering social issues in Korea, including foreign residents, education, environment and politics. Driven by a deep interest in people’s stories, she focuses on investigative and feature reporting through direct interviews and field coverage. She received the Amnesty International Korea Media Award for her “Deepfake Crisis at Schools” series. Reach her at dahyun08@koreatimes.co.kr. Always open to hearing your stories.
Korea University vows leading role in human-centered AI era
Korea University President Kim Dong-one delivers a speech during a graduation ceremony at the university campus in Seongbuk District, Seoul, Wednesday. Courtesy of Korea University
By Jung Da-hyun
Korea University has declared a new “Next Intelligence” vision, pledging to take a leading role in developing human-centered artificial intelligence (AI) evaluation frameworks.
The university aims to position itself as a front-runner in integrating the technology across education, research and administration as higher education institutions seek to redefine their roles in the rapidly evolving AI era.
"This year will mark the first year of Korea University's leap toward becoming a 'Next Intelligence' university, where AI and humans together lead solutions to the challenges of the future," Korea University President Kim Dong-one said in a speech at a graduation ceremony.
"AI is bringing profound changes to human civilization, and humanity can no longer afford to ignore or resist it," he added.
The vision goes beyond simply adopting AI, reflecting the university’s commitment to cultivating innovative talent capable of leading future society by integrating AI and human intelligence.
To support the initiative, Korea University has formed a dedicated committee.
Starting this year, the university will roll out a comprehensive AI-integrated curriculum.
Faculty members will be encouraged to adopt AI tutors and incorporate AI-based teaching and assessment systems, while students will be trained to use AI proficiently in real-world problem-solving contexts.
Beyond education, the university plans to establish a structured support system for AI convergence research.
"We will launch an AI research institute to build a large-scale shared AI research infrastructure that connects all academic disciplines," Kim said.
Since 2023, the university has recruited 79 new faculty members in AI-related fields to strengthen its research capacity.
Furthermore, the university will establish an AI data center and actively integrate AI technologies into its administration services, aiming to advance data-driven policymaking and build a smarter campus environment.
Alongside these efforts, the university said it will place particular emphasis on strengthening human intelligence — including the ethical and philosophical capacities needed to responsibly harness AI technologies.
"Human-centered competencies such as empathy, communication and persuasion, negotiation, leadership and critical thinking are becoming even more essential in the AI era," Kim said. "We will deepen its research and education to further cultivate these fundamental human capabilities."