The reason China did not succumb to President Trump's tariff pressure during the U.S.-China hegemonic war is that it possesses technology. For individuals and our country to live in the future of the artificial intelligence (AI) era, we must focus on the essence. It is essential to understand basic AI technologies and utilize them effectively.
Lee Kwang-hyung, president of KAIST, attended the C Forum, where startup stakeholders gathered, on the 3rd and said this during a discussion with Jeon Hwa-seong, CEO of CNTTECH, who also serves as president of the Korea Accelerator Association.
The C Forum is an event hosted by CNTTECH, a leading domestic accelerator, and ChosunBiz that assists startups and various ecosystem stakeholders in connecting and collaborating to create new value. It is the third installment of the event following last year. This year, KAIST also participated, providing insights under the theme 'The market is moving again; how will we validate and grow?'
He completed his undergraduate degree at Seoul National University and obtained a master's degree in industrial engineering from KAIST in 1980, followed by a doctoral degree in computer science from the National Institute of Applied Sciences Lyon (INSA Lyon) in France. He joined KAIST as a professor in 1985. He is known for his emphasis on entrepreneurship and has guided first-generation entrepreneurs from KAIST, such as Nexon and NEOWIZ.
He emphasized that the environment, society, and governance (ESG) cannot be left out of the entrepreneurial spirit. He stated, 'Entrepreneurship is about realizing the ideas and technology I possess for society, serving the nation and the people first.'
He continued, 'You might think about making money, but if you think that way, the number of people around to help decreases. If you have a greater cause, many people will help you.' Therefore, good companies generally start with concepts of ESG or social service and grow into excellent companies.
He also provided insights regarding AI startups. He explained, 'AI is divided into core technologies that develop models or algorithms and application areas. Nationally, there must be groups that create AI models, and individual founders should challenge themselves in areas that apply AI to attract funding and create added value.'
He emphasized that 'like the Internet, basic Internet theories and networks must also be considered, but added value comes from Internet services.' He noted, 'Since we are strong in manufacturing, we can specialize in AI related to manufacturing systems or healthcare AI, which is also an area where the U.S. and China are making mistakes.'