"As artificial intelligence (AI) has emerged, many jobs are disappearing and undergoing transformation. From a corporate perspective, how do you view the current hiring market?"
A student asked about research on speech generation through AI. In response, Jung Jae-heon, CEO of SK Telecom, firmly stated, "There is no need to worry too much about jobs." He explained that while productivity has increased in many areas—allowing five people to do work previously done by ten—he also noted that countless new tasks are now being created that were once impossible due to labor shortages. "When you think deeply, many new opportunities emerge," he added.
The CEO delivered the special lecture on the afternoon of the 1st at the School of Engineering, Seoul National University, in Gwanak-gu, Seoul, under the theme "Choices and Opportunities in the Age of AI." This lecture marked the launch of the "SKT-Seoul National University Joint AI Program," a decade-long industry-academia collaboration course. This year, it will run for 15 weeks targeting graduate students in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Information Science during the second semester. Although Lecture Hall 118 could accommodate 300 people, students began arriving over ten minutes before the session started, making it nearly impossible to find an empty seat.
The CEO opened his lecture by introducing his background as a former judge who now serves as a corporate CEO. He posed the question, "Are we all living in the same era?" and continued, "Some people still live within 24 hours, while others experience 240 or even 2,400 hours. AI is changing the density of time," he remarked.
He then explained how AI has reshaped industrial landscapes, accelerated the pace of change, and driven a surge in investments over recent years. Jung CEO emphasized, "For 200 years since the Industrial Revolution, we were in an era of tool evolution. But AI does not merely serve as a tool—it replaces the power to think. We should view it as the emergence of a new species." He further warned that companies failing to adapt during such transitional periods could face crises.
Regarding SK Telecom's strategic response to the AI era, Jung CEO stated, "SK Telecom holds the leading position in telecommunications, and both telecom and AI share similar characteristics. Both sectors require robust infrastructure development and the ability to build models and capabilities for service delivery." He also highlighted the role of data centers (DCs) as producers of 'tokens'—the currency of the AI era—and outlined SK Group's investment direction to secure these assets, alongside its efforts in developing a proprietary AI foundation model and participating in "AI for All" initiatives.
On the competencies required of future talent, Jung CEO remarked, "In previous eras, if two individuals had capabilities rated at 10 and 100 respectively, that represented a tenfold difference. However, in an era where AI can provide capabilities up to 10,000, the gap between someone with 10,010 and 10,100 becomes merely a 1% difference." He stressed the need for the ability to judge rapid changes and take action, emphasizing that empathy—an ability AI cannot replicate—is crucial.
During the Q&A session following the lecture, questions about hiring market changes due to AI were raised first. Jung CEO said, "Companies do not view AI transformation (AX) as equivalent to job loss." He added, "As we advance our AI businesses, we are actively recruiting large numbers of researchers and developers in this field." As a former judge turned legal professional, he noted, "While some firms claim they are no longer hiring new lawyers, the market itself is not stagnant. New legal services that were previously unavailable can be created, and if consumers are willing to pay for better service, new jobs will emerge," he emphasized.
Another student who seized the opportunity asked, "SK Telecom recently invested in Anthropic, a U.S.-based generative AI development company, and achieved good results. I'm curious about the rationale behind this investment and where you might look next." The question drew laughter from the audience. Jung CEO jokingly asked the student, "How long do you plan to hold your investment?" before explaining, "SK Telecom has been pursuing AI business for five or six years, and during that process, we chose to invest in Anthropic. When selecting investment targets, we seek companies that create synergy with SK Telecom. As we advance our AI initiatives, we invested in related firms, and it turned out to be a huge success."
in TECH
