The AI Era: Unchanging Values and Attitudes Towards Life

Recently, as information acquisition through video media like YouTube has increased, there is a phenomenon of returning to an oral culture.

An environment where text use is excluded hinders critical thinking, and if this trend becomes entrenched, the frustration of the elite class could escalate into a national crisis.

Professor Kim Sang-wook, who describes himself as the opposite of a technology early adopter, prefers to use new technologies only after they have become sufficiently stable, rather than adopting them immediately.

His daily life leans towards analog methods, such as reading paper books instead of e-books and insisting on shoes he's had for over a decade.

The research task is to understand human higher judgment through monkeys' counterfactual learning abilities and identify the core elements of intelligence that artificial intelligence has not mimicked.

By comparing the counterfactual learning abilities of monkeys, we aim to elucidate the differences in judgment between humans and AI, and derive the elements of biological intelligence that artificial intelligence has yet to emulate.

Companies rapidly adopt technology to maximize profits, but often with insufficient user consideration.

There's an opinion that, as seen with kiosk adoption, it's necessary to legislate consideration for tech-unfamiliar users and provide sufficient adaptation periods.

Criticism was also raised that our society is ingrained with a compulsive culture of unconditionally adapting to new technologies quickly.

The ordering process is excessively complicated and involves too many steps, requiring users to repeatedly input unnecessary information. The main reason is a design focused solely on adding technical features rather than user convenience.

Innovation like Apple's App Store payment system, which users can easily and simply use, is needed. The environment where users have to go through too many steps to order something must be improved.

It takes a long time to enact laws and regulations, so by the time they are finalized, the technology level has already changed. This phenomenon of systems failing to keep pace with the times is repeated.

Rather than simple legal regulations, establishing a culture that prioritizes people is important. Given the rapid pace of technological change, fundamental consideration should take precedence over rigid systems.

Just as Germany established parking order through strict penalties, a clear system to aid in norm compliance is required.

A social atmosphere where one can comfortably ask about technical unfamiliarity is needed, and the pressure from people waiting behind is diagnosed as a cultural problem, not a technical one.

The future of science and technology is inherently unpredictable. In physics, when one doesn't know something, one focuses instead on unchanging conservation laws or fundamental values.

Jeff Bezos also noted that knowing what won't change, rather than what will, is the best way to prepare for the future. We should look at essential truths, like a constant North Star, rather than complex ripples.

He named history and philosophy as having value worth teaching in education even ten years from now.

History maintains its value as recorded facts, and philosophy is important for understanding human nature, which has remained unchanged for 50,000 years according to evolutionary psychology.

Classic works serve as important guides in understanding timeless human conflicts and emotions.

Fundamental activities such as philosophy, art, and physical education will continue in the future, based on unchanging human nature.

Mathematics transcends being a mere calculation tool, forming the foundation of academic systems. The core principles of physics and science also remain as unchanging truths in everyday life.

The study of these immutable values across generations still holds valid importance.

Professor Kim Sang-wook expressed concern about the phenomenon of children studying via YouTube and other platforms, indicating a return to an oral culture.

He warned that while watching videos, it's easy to mistake comprehension for true understanding. However, without organizing it into writing, there's a risk of losing the ability to construct systematic logic, which could ultimately weaken the power supporting democracy.

Given that a major no longer guarantees a job, the advice is to choose something truly enjoyable in college.

The four years of university should be a period focused on deeply exploring a specific field, and career choice is best left as a separate task from major studies.

While mass higher education has increased university enrollment and individual expectations, quality jobs are limited, leading to dissatisfaction among those whose high expectations are not met.

Happiness arises not from objective standards but from the gap between one's expectations and outcomes; the wider this gap, the deeper the frustration.

Comparisons with others online raise expectations for partners, leading to a perception that the resources (time, effort) invested in dating are inefficient.

Comparisons with others online heighten expectations for partners, leading to a judgment that the time, effort, and cost invested in relationships are inefficient.

Professor Kim Sang-wook also cited the phenomenon where personal pleasures like gaming take precedence over relationships as a reason for the younger generation's avoidance of dating.

Population decline can be viewed not just as an economic problem but as a new evolutionary process for humanity. The way of life needed in the AI era is for the current generation to decide for themselves.

The older generation should not prematurely misjudge or arrogantly criticize the younger generation's decision not to date. This choice, made by those grappling with loneliness and suffering, can undoubtedly be the best conclusion from their perspective, and thus deserves respect. Professor Kim Sang-wook advises caution against older generations' hasty evaluations or judgments.

The phenomenon of struggling with loneliness that arises from not dating can be seen as a choice between loneliness and suffering.

Human sensory organs are designed to evaluate objects through comparison. In the process of imitation, which is central to culture, comparing oneself with others is an inevitable act.

Since it's almost impossible not to compare, he advised that it's important to change the way one evaluates one's goals and happiness, rather than making material comparisons.

Scientists often say they fail 365 days a year, but in fact, this is a continuous process of conducting experiments to find answers.

Like searching for a drawer containing cake, a scientist systematically eliminates what is certainly not the answer, thereby progressing towards finding it.

Those with unfounded confidence are prone to frustration, but for those who understand the scientific process, it's merely a continuous series of new challenges, like opening the next drawer.