Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) invited Kim Ji Hyun, Vice President of SK AI Committee, as the speaker for its 658th Thursday Special Lecture on Thursday, March 12, at the Academic Conference Hall. Vice President Kim delivered a lecture titled “The Acceleration of Polarization: The Rich Get Richer, the Poor Get Poorer in the AI Era.” He discussed the changes artificial intelligence technology will bring to industries and jobs, and the response strategies individuals must prepare within this context. He emphasized that AI represents a paradigm shift that fundamentally transforms society and industrial structures, going beyond simple technological innovation, stressing the importance of understanding and preparing for the AI era with a clear-headed perspective.

Vice President Kim explained that he researches the impact of technology on daily life, society, industry, and businesses, analyzing strategic responses to technological advancements. He specifically researched how AI advancements affect corporate business models and AX strategies, sharing practical experiences of collaborating with AI to draft reports and cultivate insights. “Effective AI utilization can significantly amplify individual capabilities,” he stated, emphasizing the need to view artificial intelligence not merely as a tool, but as a collaborative partner that expands productivity and thinking.

He then introduced the outlook presented by global AI companies like NVIDIA and OpenAI, explaining the potential for AI technology to evolve beyond generative AI. This evolution would progress through the ‘Agentic AI’ stage, where AI understands its own goals and performs tasks autonomously, and then expand into ‘Physical AI,’ which integrates with physical systems like robots. He added that as these technologies spread, much of the knowledge work currently performed by humans could be automated by AI. He analyzed that these technological shifts are altering the competitive landscape of existing business models. As AI rapidly permeates services and the entire consumer experience, it is bringing significant changes to the structure and competitive order across industries.

At the lecture's conclusion, Vice President Kim also advised on the competencies individuals must cultivate in the AI era. He emphasized, “While AI can take over the role of finding and analyzing data, the process of connecting information to create meaning and making final decisions remains firmly within the human domain.” He further advised students to maintain habits of reading, writing, and thinking for themselves rather than over-relying on AI, stating that cultivating uniquely human insight and judgment will be the competitive edge in the AI era.

Kookmin University's Thursday Special Lecture Series, the first and longest-running weekly regular lecture program featuring external speakers in Korea, has hosted approximately 660 speakers from politics, society, science, and culture over the past 30 years. These include former President Roh Moo-hyun, Cardinal Kim Sou-hwan, writer Ryu Si-min, filmmaker Park Chan-wook, National Assembly Speaker Chung Sye-kyun, and former U.S. Ambassador to Korea Mark William Lippert.