AI is said to steal jobs… but a new profession earning 30 million won per month has emerged

(Continued from Part 1)

Participants agreed that AI and robots could replace existing jobs. However, they emphasized that this should be viewed not as a reduction in employment, but as a transformation, given the high likelihood that robots and autonomous vehicles will be deployed for tasks that are difficult or undesirable for humans to perform, leading to the creation of new professions.

▶ Professor Park = Will AI and robots replace jobs? How should education and talent development change?

▶ CEO Park = There will certainly be jobs that get replaced. But new professions will also emerge. On our platform, users act as creators who build characters and rules in virtual worlds. Some earn 30 million won per month. We must educate people to adapt to the new professions created by AI.

▶ CEO Um = The first place where humanoids will be deployed is manufacturing sites that are already struggling to find workers. It is not immediately taking jobs from everyone. However, since some professions will disappear, protection and transition policies for those job categories are needed.

▶ CEO Han = Autonomous driving is similar. Rather than replacing existing drivers, we provide services in areas where bus operations have been suspended due to lack of demand, or during early morning hours when it is difficult to find drivers. Even as autonomous vehicles increase, tasks requiring human intervention, such as charging, maintenance, and sensor management, will remain. We are looking for ways to collaborate with existing transportation companies on these tasks.

▶ CEO Kim = There are forecasts that a significant portion of jobs will be replaced or disappear in the long term. Engineers and CEOs are no exception. Our employees actively use AI coding tools. Rather than slowing technological development out of fear of job losses, we must secure technology first to gain new added value and employment opportunities.

Concerns were also raised that regulations are holding back the development of the AI industry. There were cases where practical verification was blocked because there were no regulations applicable to new technologies.

▶ Professor Park Jin = What regulatory or infrastructure issues do you feel are the biggest obstacles when running a business in Korea?

▶ CEO Um = Last year, we tried to deploy a humanoid robot at a factory. We had even set a schedule for practical verification, but the safety team asked us to bring robot safety regulations. When we said there were safety regulations for collaborative robots but none applicable to humanoid robots, we were told, "Then you can't enter." Even if granted a regulatory sandbox, it can only be used at specific factories. A shift to negative regulation, which allows by principle and prohibits by exception, is necessary.

▶ CEO Han = In the autonomous driving sector, it can take four to five years to loosen regulations and change laws. It is disappointing that while engineers are told to create new technologies, lawmakers only add clauses to laws from decades ago.

▶ CEO Kim = If many companies are struggling with regulations, there is a need to establish a dedicated organization to solve the problems. Even if it is difficult to change the regulatory approach all at once, we must address what can be resolved immediately.

▶ CEO Park = Recruiting overseas talent is also an issue to consider. To bring in talent from places like Singapore, various conditions such as taxes must be taken into account. It would be good to have support when securing excellent overseas talent.

Many opinions suggested that the government should play a catalytic role in nurturing the industrial ecosystem beyond research and development (R&D) support. This means creating priority markets through policies such as providing subsidies for the purchase of domestic products.

▶ Professor Park = What must the government definitely do to prepare for the age of AI and robotics?

▶ CEO Um = The next three years are most important. Now is a time when the humanoid industry needs protection and nurturing. I propose granting domestic certification to robots that use more than two-thirds domestic components, and providing subsidies to companies that adopt them. This will allow robot companies, component companies, and demand-side companies to grow together.

▶ CEO Han = Initial demand must be created. Like electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles could see increased production and lower prices if purchases are boosted through subsidies. Society must accept the fact that autonomous vehicles can cause accidents, and systems regarding liability and insurance must be established. Currently, there is a strong perception that one accident means ruin, making it difficult to develop technology amid such anxiety.

▶ CEO Park = Even if SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) lower costs using AI, the benefits of innovation do not remain if prime contractors demand lower supply prices. If an SME reduces the cost of a product supplied at 100 won from 95 won to 85 won through AI innovation, but the prime contractor cuts the supply price to 90 won, the SME's profit remains 5 won. This reduces the incentive for SMEs (small and medium-sized enterprises) to invest in AX.

▶ CEO Kim = US and Chinese companies use factories like laboratories to accumulate data and advance technology. Korea must also increase investment in physical AI. It is important to secure both technological sovereignty and manufacturing competitiveness.

For young people, it was advised that simply chasing specific technologies or fields is not sufficient, as it is difficult to predict future promising professions. Participants each emphasized △ flexible thinking △ one's aptitude △ AI utilization skills △ and differentiated assets.

▶ Professor Park = If you could give just one piece of advice to younger colleagues in the era of AI innovation, what would it be?

▶ CEO Um = Think flexibly. One must be flexible not only in finding solutions to a single problem but also in career paths and life direction. If thinking is rigid, other solutions cannot be found.

▶ CEO Han = I want to say that one should do what they want to do rather than chasing trends or immediate profits. It is impossible to know if a popular major today will still be popular five years from now. Only by doing what you love can you change direction even when the world changes.

▶ CEO Kim = It is difficult to accurately predict which professions will be promising in the future. However, it is certain that AI will be used much more extensively than it is now. One must master AI as if it were their major field of study. Other knowledge and abilities also need to be considered with AI utilization as a premise.

▶ CEO Park = Everyone should live with the mindset of investing in their own assets, like an entrepreneur. Rather than investing time in publicly available information accessible to everyone, one must build unique assets specific to themselves. Relationships and fields one loves can also become important assets.

▶ Professor Park = While it is difficult to predict the future, it seems certain that we are entering an era where AI will be used more extensively. It appears the common advice is to possess one's strengths and prepare to change flexibly. (End)