Professor Oh EunYoung of the KMU International Business School (KIBS) at Kookmin University (President Jeong Seung Ryul) has published two research papers analyzing the impact of generative artificial intelligence (AI) on Korean industry and the labor market in two prestigious SSCI international journals in February and June, respectively.

As generative AI has recently garnered attention as a new growth engine for Korean society, Professor Oh’s research is significant in that it analyzes both the productivity changes brought about by the spread of AI in actual industrial settings and the public perception of job displacement. In particular, she empirically demonstrated that the effects of generative AI do not manifest uniformly across all industries and occupations but can vary depending on industrial structure and job characteristics.

Professor Oh’s paper, “Generative AI and Uneven Productivity Gains: The Political Economy of Sectoral Asymmetry in South Korea,” was published in the SSCI-indexed Journal of Information Technology & Politics, while “Who Fears ChatGPT? Perceptions of Occupational Replacement in South Korea” was published in the SSCI-indexed Applied Economics Letters.

The first paper analyzed changes in productivity across South Korean industries following the spread of generative AI. The results showed that the initial productivity-enhancing effects of generative AI were relatively concentrated in the finance, information and communications technology (ICT), and professional services sectors, whereas changes in the manufacturing sector were limited. This suggests that while generative AI has the potential to boost productivity across all industries, its effects may be more pronounced in specific sectors rather than spreading evenly across all industries.

The second paper analyzed perceptions in Korean society regarding the potential for generative AI, including ChatGPT, to replace jobs. The survey results showed that Koreans perceived professions such as translators, data scientists, and financial advisors as having a high likelihood of being replaced by ChatGPT, while they assessed professions such as professors, researchers, and writers as having a relatively low likelihood of replacement. Additionally, the findings indicated that older age groups felt greater job insecurity due to AI.

Professor Oh EunYoung stated, “Generative AI is a crucial technology that can boost overall economic productivity, but its effects do not manifest equally across all industries and occupations.” She added, “To more broadly disseminate the benefits of AI technology and respond to changes in the labor market, policy discussions that take into account the specific characteristics of each industry and occupation are necessary.”

This study holds academic significance in that it analyzed the impact of generative AI on the Korean economy and labor market from both an industry-level and an individual perception perspective. It is also expected to provide policy implications necessary for strengthening industrial competitiveness and establishing labor market adaptation strategies in the AI era.

△ Professor Oh EunYoung (KIBS)