MSIT and KISDI Hold the 5th Digital Great Transformation Megatrend Conference on December 4 (detail)

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MSIT and KISDI Hold the 5th Digital Great Transformation Megatrend Conference on December 4

“Sharing a Vision of Cooperative Prosperity amid the Great Wave of AI Transformation”
– Agentification, multi-nodalization, post-truth dynamics, and physical convergence as cross-cutting trends toward 2035 –
– The preferred future is an “AI cooperative prosperity society” where all can participate in innovation –

Date and Time: December 4, 2025 (Thu), 10:00–17:00
Venue: Post Tower Grand Conference Room, Seoul / Live via KISDI YouTube
Streaming Link: http://kisdi-megatrend.com

Host: Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT)
Organizer: Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI)

The Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) and the Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI, President Sangkyu Rhee) held the “5th Digital Great Transformation Megatrend Conference” on December 4 at Post Tower in Seoul. The conference presented research outcomes jointly conducted over the past year with nine academic associations: the Korean Academic Society of Business Administration, the Korea Institute of Communications and Information Sciences, the Korean Association for Telecommunications Policies, the Korean Sociological Association, the Korean Political Science Association, the Korean Association for Public Administration, the Korean Association for Policy Studies, the Korean Institute of Information Scientists and Engineers, and the Institute of Electronics and Information Engineers. Under the theme “The Future Discovered through AI: Our Prepared Vision,” the conference examined future directions for Korea amid rapid AI-driven transformation.

Ahram MOON (Fellow, KISDI) delivered the keynote presentation. Integrating signals identified from structured and unstructured data, expert insights across academia, industry, and research institutes, and public outlook surveys, she presented four megatrends expected to reshape Korea’s economy and society by 2035: agentification, multi-nodalization, post-truth dynamics, and physical convergence. Agentification refers to the evolution of AI from a tool into an autonomous actor capable of judgment and action. Multi-nodalization describes the multilayered fragmentation of global networks driven by technological competition and AI sovereignty. Post-truth dynamics refer to the blurring of boundaries between fact and falsehood amid the proliferation of AI-generated information, where reconstructed information can function as truth. Physical convergence denotes the integration of AI with physical entities and its evolution toward embodied interaction with the real world.

The study also conducted scenario analysis involving citizens and experts. It assessed that Korean society is currently on a trajectory toward a “market-driven competitive society.” It presented a new institutional vision for moving toward an “AI cooperative prosperity society.” Using “innovation actors” and “resource allocation mechanisms” as key axes, the study identified four future scenarios for 2035: an AI cooperative prosperity society (universal AI use, human-led innovation), an AI market-driven competitive society (exclusive AI use, human-led innovation), an AI techno-centric society (exclusive AI use, AI-led innovation), and an AI-managed stability society (state-led management, AI-led innovation).

Both citizens and experts assessed Korea as currently aligning with an AI market-driven competitive society. They expressed concern that this trajectory may persist over the next decade or partially shift toward an AI techno-centric society. When asked about the most desirable future, both citizens (35.1 percent) and experts (81.4 percent) ranked the AI cooperative prosperity society as their top choice. However, citizen preferences were more dispersed than those of experts. Both groups identified the AI techno-centric society as the most undesirable scenario (citizens 52.6 percent; experts 81.4 percent). Discussions with 28 citizens also indicated the need for strategies that combine market dynamism with public values to bridge the gap between the ideal and current trajectories.

The study emphasized institutional change as a pathway for linking technological progress with social progress. It identified three objectives for achieving the preferred future: sharing the value of innovation, ensuring universal transition capabilities, and building sustainable trust. It also stressed the need for new institutional designs that overcome inertia in existing systems and align with the pace of technological advancement.

The conference presented six priority agendas for implementing new institutional frameworks identified by nine academic associations and 43 experts: (1) innovation and fairness in AI-driven industrial transformation; (2) public value and sustainability of AI resources; (3) capacity-building and stability support for labor transitions; (4) equitable returns for contributions and virtuous cycles of wealth distribution; (5) development of AI citizens with universal capabilities; and (6) open decision-making structures based on collaboration.

Following the keynote, all nine association presidents participated in a panel discussion titled “The Future Discovered through AI: Our Prepared Vision,” chaired by Kim Jeong-eon (Executive Vice President, KISDI). Participants examined opportunities and risks arising from AI transformation and shared views on the need for social consensus and interdisciplinary research to support a cooperative future in which technology and institutions co-evolve.

In the afternoon sessions, in-depth discussions addressed sector-specific issues relevant to new institutional frameworks. Session II, titled “Redesigning Innovation- and Growth Structures in the AI Era,” examined pathways to sustainable growth. Presenters Song Jihee (University of Seoul), Yang Sung-byung (Kyung Hee University), Lee In-gyu (Korea University), and a KISDI associate fellow reviewed technological foundations such as empirical analyses of firm performance in AI transformation, digital asset ecosystems, next-generation communications and quantum infrastructure strategies, and policy simulation results on mitigating growth polarization.

Session III, “An Inclusive AI Society for Integration and Recovery,” addressed the preservation of human values amid technological change. Yoo Seong-jin (Ewha Womans University) and Lim Un-taek (Keimyung University) examined democratic resilience in the algorithmic era and labor market shock protection strategies. Yeon Sora (Associate Fellow, KISDI) and Jung Wook MOON (Director, KISDI) discussed AI’s potential to strengthen social cohesion and the public sector’s role in addressing disparities.

The final session, “Future Governance Based on AI Transformation,” discussed institutional and technological foundations for future society. Yoon Geon (Hanshin University) and Nam Tae-woo (Sungkyunkwan University) presented on human-centered AI welfare ecosystems and public data governance strategies. Kim Hyun (Seoul National University of Science and Technology) and Song Gil-tae (Pusan National University) examined low-carbon AI semiconductor innovation and policy responses in the AGI era. Hwihong Kim (Associate Fellow, KISDI) explored AI’s emerging legal subjectivity as a basis for further discussion on future governance frameworks.

In his closing remarks, President Sangkyu Rhee stated that insights shared with participating experts and academic associations would serve as an important milestone for Korea in the AI transformation era. He expressed hope that the proposed megatrends and policy recommendations would contribute to social consensus on national AI strategies and agendas and affirmed KISDI’s continued support.

The conference was held in a hybrid format, and recordings and materials are available on the KISDI YouTube channel and the official conference website (kisdi-megatrend.com).

KISDI News

MSIT and KISDI Hold the 5th Digital Great Transformation Megatrend Conference on December 4