SK Group chairman appears on EBS 'Great Minds' season 6

Outlines vision for education in the AI era

'Schools must become places for experimentation'

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won delivers a lecture to young people on EBS' "Great Minds" program. [Provided by SK Supex Council]
SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won delivers a lecture to young people on EBS' "Great Minds" program. [Provided by SK Supex Council]

SK Group Chairman Chey Tae-won has urged young people to develop problem-solving skills and a spirit of challenge as AI transforms the job market and the education environment. He said the ability to use AI to define and solve problems facing organizations and society matters far more than a college degree.

According to SK, Chey appeared on season 6 of EBS' "Great Minds," which aired over five days from Monday through Friday, delivering a lecture on the theme of "AI, New Capitalism and Youth."

The first Korean business leader to appear on the program, Chey spoke about the value of work in the AI era. "Until now, we thought of a job as working a set number of hours at one company in one field, but AI can change that concept entirely," he said, adding that time saved through AI could be used freely or redirected toward other pursuits.

He said future education must also be redesigned to meet this new reality. "What matters more than a college degree is the experience of having actually solved real problems," Chey said. "The ability to define problems and ask the right questions, the capacity for critical thinking and empathy, and a willingness to embrace failure will become increasingly important."

He also said the era of schools producing talent through a single standardized approach must change. "Schools need to become places where students seek out new ways to solve problems, take on challenges directly and experiment," he said.

On the qualities of a leader in the AI age, Chey said, "Leaders in the AI era must do what AI cannot." He added that using AI to directly define and solve the problems facing organizations and society is what matters most.

He also said "AI is a tool that amplifies intelligence, but intelligence is not the same as wisdom," adding that solving problems ultimately requires understanding people and moving them to act.

Asked what he would pursue if he were young again in the AI era, Chey said without hesitation: "I would start a company, no question."

"It wouldn't be a semiconductor startup like what I do now," he said. "I would use every means available to solve the hardest problems facing Korea or humanity — the ones causing the most suffering."

He noted that society is full of pressing challenges — environmental degradation, caregiving, the low birth rate and financial vulnerability — but said there is no need to tackle the biggest problems from the outset. "Start by solving a small problem within your reach," he said. "As those experiences accumulate, you can build toward ever-larger solutions."

Chey also reiterated his longstanding position that South Korea and Japan should develop their economic relationship beyond simple solidarity into a full economic community. He identified energy as the first area for cooperation, saying the two countries could cut costs by 5 to 10 percent by jointly purchasing energy and sharing storage facilities.


jiyun@heraldcorp.com