As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly changes work productivity, creative practices, and even the structure of education and research and development (R&D), the government has begun in earnest to discuss a science, technology, and AI future strategy aimed at 2030 and beyond.
Experts emphasized that Korea should not stop at weighing whether to participate in overseas AI projects but must consolidate domestic industry, talent, and policy capabilities to secure the lead in the AI race.
The Ministry of Science and ICT launched the Science, Technology and AI Future Strategy Council and held its first meeting on the afternoon of the 13th at the Presidential Advisory Council on Science & Technology in Gwanghwamun, Seoul. The council is composed of 17 private-sector experts from across society, including not only researchers in science, technology, and AI but also in economics, industry, education, health care, culture, and law.
The meeting body was set up to proactively respond to the structural changes that AI and advanced science and technology will bring to future society. While reviewing the current policy direction for science, technology, and AI through 2030, the core task is to identify new national strategic agendas that will continue through 2035 after 2030.
Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, said, "In 2020, the ministry also prepared a future strategy for 2045, but it did not cover Generative AI at the time," adding, "Given that it is difficult to keep up with the current pace of technological change using past mid- to long-term planning methods alone, if artificial general intelligence (AGI) emerges, the science and technology community and industry must discuss how to prepare."
In particular, Bae said, "Some only ask whether Korea will participate in Anthropic's AI 'Mythos'-based software security initiative 'Project Glasswing,' which is regrettable," adding, "We should ask whether we ourselves can build a model like Mythos. In this respect, awareness of and readiness for AI still seem insufficient."
On this, Shin Jin-woo, a professor at KAIST, said, "Korea also has the capability to build an AI model like Mythos," adding, "We have built industrial competitiveness with outstanding engineering and on-site implementation. The key is how well we achieve consolidation and use of industry, talent, and government policy."
The role of humans in the AI era and the issue of capability gaps also emerged as major topics at the meeting. Kim Ju-ho, a KAIST professor, saw the gap in AI utilization skills as a key variable that will determine organizational competitiveness going forward.
Kim said, "If AI largely replaces 'how to do it,' what remains for humans is 'what to do' and 'why to do it,'" adding, "At the national level, we must consider how to measure the quality of AI utilization, how to build social consensus based on those standards, and how to grow AI capabilities."
Park Su-kyung, a KAIST professor, suggested that to prepare for the AGI era, Korea should ready not only AI itself but also the physical and industrial foundational technologies that support it. Park said, "There are projections that AGI could arrive within 3 to 5 years, but actual outcomes may vary depending on computing expense, subscription accessibility, and the institutional environment," adding, "We need to look together at foundational issues that are closely tied to the spread of AI."
Park added, "AI may offer breakthroughs in areas like nuclear fusion, but some domains, such as superconductors or materials development, require time," adding, "If there are fields where AI can create breakthroughs, we should prepare the surrounding technologies and foundational capabilities in advance."
Kim Sang-wook, a Kyunghee University professor, outlined the direction for education and talent development in the AI era. Kim said, "When the internet first spread, there were large generational gaps in understanding and use, but looking back, knowledge of the basics ultimately mattered," adding, "AI policy is moving from infrastructure building to application diffusion, so we should strengthen basic education so students can create application fields."
The Ministry of Science and ICT plans to hold the future strategy council regularly each quarter and to focus discussions on future issues by field. Core agendas identified at the meetings will be linked with relevant research institutes for in-depth studies, and the results will be released sequentially as a future agenda series. In addition, matters requiring a whole-of-government approach will be discussed through venues such as the Ministers' Meeting on Science and Technology to increase policy execution.