As AI rapidly replaces human roles, what questions should we be asking? This is directly tied to where the complex challenges facing Korean society should prioritize problem-solving. South Korea's engineers have selected 10 core questions that need to be deliberated and resolved together over the next decade.
The Academy of Engineering Korea said Thursday that it will officially unveil "10 Big Questions for Korean Engineering" at the "1st Engineer's Day" event, co-hosted with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, at the National Assembly Member's Hall in Yeouido, Seoul, on Friday (Oct. 30).
The Academy said, "This project was not designed to list promising technologies or rank future technologies, but rather based on the premise that Korean engineering, which has driven industrial growth through technology catch-up and advancement, must now move toward a role of defining future problems itself and creating new industries and social value."
To select the questions, the Academy of Engineering Korea gathered member opinions based on 55 candidate questions proposed by eight specialized subcommittees, and conducted reviews by an expert selection committee to derive the final 10.
Among the 10th questions, in the "Intelligence and Semiconductors" category, the following were selected: ① Using less electricity while making AI smarter—how will Korean semiconductors achieve this? ② In the global AI infinite competition, in which field will Korea hold the lead? ③ For AI that works instead of humans, how should it be controlled and who will bear responsibility? ④ For physical AI working alongside humans, how can it work safely while increasing productivity?
In the "Life and Materials" category, the following were cited as core questions: ⑤ Beyond the limits of aging and dementia, what should engineering do to ensure everyone enjoys a healthy life? ⑥ While reducing dependence on oil and critical minerals, how can materials needed for industry be supplied stably?
Following this, in "Energy and Infrastructure," the following emerged as issues of the times: ⑦ For a country that imports over 90% of its energy, how can energy be secured stably while protecting both the economy and the environment? ⑧ How should national infrastructure, which is aging all at once, be repaired and newly designed to sustain daily life even in the face of climate disasters?
Finally, in the "Innovation System and People" category, the following were selected: ⑨ Korea's next core industrial technology needed by the world—how should it be cultivated? ⑩ In an era where AI designs and experiments, how should engineers who find problems on their own be cultivated?
Yoon Ui-jun, president of the Academy, said, "Going forward, we will prepare expert explanatory materials and follow-up content for each question, and develop these questions into a common agenda to be deliberated together by academia, industry, our society, and the government through forums and policy discussions."
Meanwhile, a talk concert will also be held at the event on this day, moderated by Ahn Jun-mo, Director of the Policy Research Center at the Academy of Engineering Korea.
Participants in the dialogue will include Kim Jung-gwan, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy, as well as representatives from academia, industry, and young researchers, who are expected to discuss directions for innovation and support centered on the safety and productivity of physical AI and the cultivation of Korea's next core industrial technologies.
in INDUSTRY
