KISDI Presents Policy Challenges of the AI Transformation at the Joint Economics Conference (detail)

※ URL(Korean): https://www.kisdi.re.kr/bbs/view.do?bbsSn=114863&key=m2101113055776&pageIndex=1&sc=&sw=

Discussions on technological sovereignty, employment, and productivity held through the plenary session and a special session -

Plenary Session I: “A New Year for the Korean Economy”
▲ “Challenges Toward the AI Transformation” (Sangkyu Rhee, President, KISDI)

KISDI Special Session: “The Changing Economic Order in the AI Era and the Role of Government”
▲ “AI Technological Sovereignty and Measures to Strengthen National Competitiveness” (Lee Kyung-sun, Fellow, KISDI)
▲ “AI and Jobs: The Need for Labor-Friendly Responses” (Ahram MOON, Fellow, KISDI)
▲ “Generative AI, Division of Labor, and Productivity” (Daehong Min, Fellow, KISDI)

The Korea Information Society Development Institute (KISDI, President Sangkyu Rhee) participated in the 2026 Joint Economics Conference held on February 5 at Chung-Ang University’s Seoul campus. Through a plenary presentation and a special session, KISDI presented policy issues related to structural economic changes associated with the diffusion of AI.

In Plenary Session I, President Sangkyu Rhee presented on the challenges of AI transformation. He noted that the spread of AI requires structural changes across Korea’s growth model as well as its industrial and labor systems. He observed that while AI and digital transformation hold new growth potential, accumulated disparities across industries, labor markets, and regions may constrain macroeconomic growth. He emphasized the need for institutional redesign to ensure that the benefits of technological progress are broadly shared.

KISDI also organized a special session titled “The Changing Economic Order in the AI Era and the Role of Government,” which examined the effects of AI development on economic structures, division of labor, and labor markets.

Lee Kyung-sun (Fellow, KISDI) presented on AI technological sovereignty and national competitiveness. She shared findings on Korea’s AI technological self-reliance and competitiveness and reviewed policy responses and ecosystem developments in major countries. She emphasized that AI technological sovereignty involves a combination of strategic approaches, including supply chain considerations, rather than comprehensive self-sufficiency across the entire technology stack. Based on this perspective, she outlined policy priorities informed by assessments of supply chain risks and future competitiveness across the AI technology stack.

Ahram MOON (Fellow, KISDI) presented on AI and employment, focusing on the need for labor-friendly responses as AI enters an “agent stage” capable of autonomous task performance. She noted that while productivity gains from AI adoption are expanding across occupations, youth hiring is declining, contributing to disruptions in career pathways. She emphasized the urgency of shifting toward labor-friendly AI policies that complement human work and support human capital accumulation for future generations.

Daehong Min (Fellow, KISDI) presented on generative AI, division of labor, and productivity. He examined how generative AI adoption affects traditional division-of-labor structures and work processes and discussed its productivity implications. Drawing on experimental results from an online study of adults aged 19 and older, he reported that generative AI can improve productivity in sequential task settings by reducing inefficiencies such as information loss and interpretation costs during task coordination.

Through its participation in the conference, KISDI shared research findings on the economic and social implications of AI diffusion and reaffirmed its role as a leading public policy research institute in advancing policy agendas in collaboration with government, academia, and broader society.

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KISDI Presents Policy Challenges of the AI Transformation at the Joint Economics Conference