Global cooperation, corporate innovation key to navigating AI uncertainty

JINJU, South Gyeongsang Province — International cooperation and corporate innovation have emerged as key priorities for navigating artificial intelligence (AI)-driven change and narrowing the digital divide, as former United Nations officials and executives from major conglomerates discussed ways to promote inclusive growth on Monday.

The 2026 Jinju International Forum on Entrepreneurship, held on Monday and Tuesday, brought together international organization officials and business executives to discuss how entrepreneurship can help businesses navigate geopolitical tensions, supply chain realignments and rapid advances in AI.

The first session, moderated by Oh Joon, the 71st president of the U.N. Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC), focused on the role of international organizations in promoting inclusive development as digital technologies reshape economies.

Nestor Osorio, the council's 69th president, called for broader digital access and support for small-scale agricultural producers, arguing that technological progress must benefit communities beyond major cities and large corporations.

“One of the most important challenges now is to turn innovation and technology into inclusive developmental strategy,” Osorio said, stressing the need to expand access to digital infrastructure and help small businesses adopt new technologies.

Martin Sajdik, the 70th ECOSOC president, highlighted the U.N.’s Sustainable Development Goals and the 2030 Agenda as major achievements in international cooperation, while Martin Moritan, Argentina's former permanent representative to the U.N., said closing the digital divide requires multilateral financing, knowledge transfer and regional integration.

“No country, however powerful, can (close the digital gap) alone and no developing country can do so without cooperation,” Moritan said.

He said such cooperation could lower the cost of digital infrastructure, expand access to computing resources and technical expertise and help developing economies participate more fully in the global digital economy.

Navid Hanif, assistant secretary-general for economic development at the U.N. Department of Economic and Social Affairs, urged businesses and governments to ensure technological progress delivers broader social benefits rather than focusing solely on commercial returns.

“We need to make sure that we build for development, not only for markets; that we use innovation not just to create economic value, but to expand opportunity,” Hanif said.

Stephen Young, global executive director of the Caux Round Table for Moral Capitalism, an international network of business leaders, proposed “associative power” as a third form of power alongside economic and soft power.

He described it as the ability to bring stakeholders together, underscoring the importance of collaboration in global governance.

The second session shifted to corporate strategy, with executives from Samsung, LG, GS and HS Hyosung outlining how established companies can adapt to AI-driven competition through organizational change, partnerships and new business opportunities.

Kang Do-hyuck, vice president of Samsung's Human Resources Development Center, discussed the company's strategy, which centers on AI-driven management, recruiting top talent and transforming its organizational culture. He noted that partnerships and mergers and acquisitions were essential to keeping pace with technological advances.

LG's Global Strategy Development Institute President Ko Yun-ju highlighted opportunities in physical AI by combining the group's manufacturing data and expertise with Nvidia's computing capabilities and robotics software. The group is also adapting electric vehicle battery production lines to manufacture energy storage systems as market demand shifts.

“I believe entrepreneurship is about boldly taking on new challenges, quickly adapting to changing conditions and creating new value through partnerships and collaboration amid the changes and uncertainties of the AI era,” Ko said.

GS Ventures CEO Hong Suk-hyun explained how investments in startups could help GS develop new businesses by combining its power sector expertise with emerging technologies, particularly for AI data centers.

“Through open innovation, we invest in ventures to build ecosystems and establish value chains rather than pursuing large businesses on our own,” Hong said.

Lee Young-joon, head of the Future Strategy Office at HS Hyosung, shared how the group is positioning itself as an AI infrastructure supplier rather than competing directly in foundational AI development, focusing on materials and thermal management solutions for data centers.

He added that asking the right questions and setting a clear direction were essential to maintaining competitiveness in a technology landscape where information is increasingly accessible.