Chey Tae-won to Discuss Capitalism and Youth in the AI Era on EBS ‘Great Minds’

EBS ‘Great Minds’ has invited SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won as the first lecturer for Season 6 to cover the economy, society, and the response of youth in the artificial intelligence (AI) era. The lecture theme is ‘AI, New Capitalism, and Youth.’ Based on his experience navigating industrial changes in semiconductors, energy, and telecommunications, Chairman Chey plans to highlight the roles that corporations, the economy, and society must play in the AI era and propose how to measure and reward the value of solving social problems.

The broadcast will air on EBS 1TV weekdays from 11:45 PM, from October 12 to 16. The first episode will cover ways to turn solving social problems into economic activities, and the following episode will examine how to apply AI services to society. This will be followed by lectures and dialogues themed around Korea-Japan economic solidarity and questions from youth. According to EBS, the program can also be rewatched on its website.

Turning Industrial Change Experience into Questions for the AI Era

For the past five years, ‘Great Minds’ has met world-class scholars and intellectuals in various fields, such as economists, philosophers, scientists, and artists, to address questions facing humanity. Season 6 begins with Chairman Chey's lecture. The program invites business leaders who have been active in the field of Korean industry to discuss the questions that AI development poses to corporations, the economy, and society. Chairman Chey has led SK Group for nearly 30 years, experiencing changes in the semiconductor, energy, and telecommunications sectors.

The starting point of the lecture is the awareness that economic growth alone does not naturally solve social problems. The broadcast guide explains that new social problems continue to arise during the growth process, and the rapid development of AI is making the problems society faces more complex by changing industrial and job structures. Chairman Chey presents ‘Capitalism of New Value’ as a way to respond to these changes. The lecture will primarily cover how to measure the achievements made through solving social problems and how to provide rewards appropriate to those achievements.

EBS stated that Chairman Chey will explain the principles of new capitalism based on the experiments and experiences he has conducted over the past 10 years. It is a vision to measure and reward not only economic value but also the value created in the process of solving social problems. The first lecture is structured around ways to make solving social problems themselves an economic activity. The question of the lecture is how to establish a structure where solving problems necessary for society is evaluated and rewarded as an achievement.

Social Problem Solving and AI Application Methods

The theme of the second lecture is ‘How to Create an AI-Native Society.’ While speed, scale, and safety are important in the AI competition, Chairman Chey will explain that the core is ultimately creating AI services needed by society. Rather than just dealing with the development of AI technology itself, the lecture will present ways to utilize it to solve actual social problems and lower costs. According to the broadcast guide, it also includes content on developing AI suited to Korea's data and situation and applying it to various fields.

AI application cases such as AI agents and AI cities will be presented. The lecture will examine application methods across a wide range, from AI agents to AI utilization at the city level. Chairman Chey says, “To obtain the effects of AI, one must lower social costs and solve difficult problems.” EBS introduced that the central content of the lecture is the method of utilizing AI to solve social problems. It also proposes ways for youth to participate in solving social problems using AI.

The broadcast schedule continues for five days according to the theme of each episode. On the 12th, it covers social problem solving and the capitalism of new value; on the 13th, the AI-native society; and on the 14th, Korea-Japan economic solidarity. On the 15th and 16th, dialogues with youth will be broadcast.

The Vision for Korea-Japan Economic Solidarity and Cooperation Fields

The third lecture is themed ‘Solidarity with Japan, Why Talk About It Now?’ Chairman Chey presents a vision where Korea and Japan can create new growth opportunities through economic cooperation in the rapidly changing global economic environment. The lecture guide cited the deepening US-China conflict and the changing global economic order as the background. It will cover ways for Korea and Japan to seek larger markets and growth opportunities by combining their respective strengths.

Korea-Japan economic solidarity was introduced as a vision where the two countries create economic opportunities together, going beyond simple exchange. Energy, AI, healthcare, tourism, and jobs are presented as fields where the two countries can cooperate. The lecture will examine the tasks and possibilities for the two countries to cooperate in each field. EBS stated that Chairman Chey will explain why Korea and Japan must create new opportunities for economic growth.

Chairman Chey addresses the possibility of cooperation between Korea and Japan as a lecture theme in a situation where the global economy is changing rapidly due to the emergence of AI. He presents a wide range of cooperation, not only in energy and AI but also in healthcare, tourism, and jobs. This episode does not stop at guiding youth on how to use AI but also covers the option of economic cooperation between nations. The lecture proceeds centered on the vision that markets and growth opportunities can be created by combining the strengths of Korea and Japan.

Competencies in the AI Era Viewed Through Youth Questions

The final two episodes consist of dialogues with youth. The youth ask how he foresaw and prepared for the coming AI era, how Chairman Chey uses AI, and what he would challenge if he returned to his 20s. Chairman Chey will answer the questions based on his experiences and thoughts. The lecture guide notes that it will also cover the competencies required for leaders in an era where AI knows more and answers faster than humans.

In the dialogue with youth, ways to reduce the AI transformation and AI utilization gap for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) will also be discussed. Based on his experience as the Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Chairman Chey will explain what is needed in the process of SMEs adopting AI. It also includes content on how the value of labor and ways of working will change when AI replaces human labor. Questions about what youth should learn and what they should try while attending university are also addressed.

The question ‘What would you challenge if you returned to your 20s now?’ is also one pillar of the dialogue with youth. The competencies youth must learn in the AI era, the role of leaders, and changes in ways of working are discussed together. EBS stated that Chairman Chey will answer the questions of youth with his experiences and thoughts. The program continues in the form of lectures and Q&A, covering the choices youth will face in the AI era and the economic and social responses society must prepare.

Chairman Chey Tae-won's lectures will be broadcast on EBS 1TV weekdays from 11:45 PM, from October 12 to 16. Each episode covers the vision for capitalism to solve social problems, AI utilization, Korea-Japan economic solidarity, and dialogue with youth. After the broadcast, they can be rewatched on the EBS website.

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