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SDF2023
Rewriting the Economic Paradigm in the Age of AI
Insights for the Intellectually Curious
SBS has worked to shed light on technological advances and social change since 2004. Our early initiatives to this end, the Seoul Digital Forum (SDF) and Future Korea Report (FKR), were succeeded in 2018 by the SBS D Forum, which marked both a synthesis of and expansion on our earlier programs in view of the changing demands of our times. Exploring various issues confronting our society from a range of perspectives, SBS D Forum provides rich opportunities for knowledge sharing through the main D Forum event in November, featuring speakers who are globally recognized leaders in their fields, and a special year-round project.
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* As of October 2023
Rewriting the Economic Paradigm in the Age of AI
the rules of living and making a living have changed.
The former free trade-driven global order, underpinned by the idea that anyone can be a friend for the right economic benefits, has collapsed. Under the emerging New Cold War order, everyone must choose a side, even ‒ or especially ‒ when it comes to matters of the economy. Meanwhile, a massive wave of yet more change looms in the form of climate change countermeasures such as RE100, the US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022, and the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, all with profound economic implications.
heralding profound transformation
Generative AI has solidly entered into the realm of our everyday lives, casting a shadow on the future of work for highly educated workers in high-income professions, particularly those requiring human creativity. Promises that have been upheld by mutual agreement ‒ that is, the so-called “rules of thegame” ‒ are being rewritten before our very eyes. If the economic crises of the past were tidal waves, experts warn, today’s situation would be best described as a foundational shift in the ocean’s currents.
In an age of technopolitics, where global political dynamics are being shaped by the contest for technological supremacy, what are the key challenges that must be addressed to discover new drivers of growth?
What laws and institutions must be changed in order to enable survival in an evolving economic order, and how must we each ready ourselves?
We hope you will join us as we come together to engage in thoughtful deliberation and pool our wisdom and collective insights on how we as individuals can exercise our agency to stand shoulder to shoulder in this unprecedented time of transformation, making our way forward together and ensuring none are left behind.
SDF Invitation
The so-called “polycrisis” world has become our present reality. We have barely emerged from the three-and-a-half-year COVID pandemic, yet the Russia-Ukraine conflict continues into its second year, splintering the global supply chain once held up as a symbol of globalization. Earlier this year, generative AI stepped into the limelight as a would-be challenger to human creativity. Meanwhile, China and the United States remain locked in an intensifying competition for technological sovereignty, particularly in semiconductors.
And it doesn’t end there. From the 34 wildfires that broke out over the course of two days this spring, to the Earth’s hottest day on record, to sudden torrential rains leaving a trail of damage in their wake, the climate crisis, too, has become all too real. The resulting shift in the international community’s strategic response to climate change – the US Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism, to name a few examples – is also a situation that can no longer be ignored.
In a word, we live in a time of changing rules, not only in the fundamental framework of production, distribution, and consumption but also in the broadening of the implications of new technologies, which now reach beyond shaping new industries to impacting economic security as a whole. To navigate our future, we must come together and seek solutions, setting aside distinctions of ideology as well as political discord. That is why the theme for this year’s SBS D Forum is “Rewriting the Economic Paradigm in the Age of AI.”
This year, we will hear from industry leaders as well as renowed scholars who are at the forefront of change. Amid unprecedented uncertainties, I hope the SBS D Forum will serve as a meaningful platform for pooling our collective knowledge in search of the answers we very much need.
History has proven that new technologies do not automatically guarantee a better world. A better world can only be created through untiring economic, social, and political effort. Last year, we strived to reimagine democracy; this year, the SBS D Forum turns its attention to the economic paradigm and how it can be rewritten to meet the needs of our age. We look forward once again to your continued interest and support along the way.
PARK Jeong Hoon
President & CEO, SBS
Members of SDF2023 Project
JEONG Seungmin
Chief Editorial Writer
LEE
Chong-ae Reporter/ Future & Vision Team Leader
KIM Jiseong
Reporter / Director
PARK Sukchul
Research Fellow
CHOI Sungrak
Producer / Director
YUN Taeuk
Producer / Director
HONG Sungwoo
Producer
PARK Junsuk
Program Manager
Lim Taewoo
Reporter / Director standing
LEE Hyemi
Reporter / Director standing
KIM Minjeong
Reporter
CHOI Yejin
Writer
CHOI Yujin
Writer
KIM Hwawon
Writer
SHIN Sohee
Art Director
MOON Sanghoon
Presentation Graphic Designer
LIM Sehjong
Director of photography
SONG Hyunju
Content Marketer