Lim Moonyoung Proposes 'AI Democracy' International Conference in Gwangju to WEF

Aiming to co-host in 2027... Meets with World Economic Forum CTO
Discuss AI sovereignty, jobs, and income distribution... Positive response from WEF

A proposal has been made to hold an international conference in Gwangju next year to discuss the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) on jobs, income distribution, and political systems.

On October 30, Rep. Lim Moonyoung of the Democratic Party of Korea (Gwangsan B, Jeonnam-Gwangju) met with Stefan Mergenthaler, chief technology officer (CTO) of the World Economic Forum (WEF), and proposed co-hosting an international conference on “AI democracy.”

Rep. Lim Moonyoung of the Democratic Party of Korea (left) poses for a photo after meeting with Stephan Mergenthaler, chief technology officer (CTO) of the World Economic Forum (WEF), on the 30th. Provided by Rep. Lim's office.

During the meeting, Rep. Lim stressed that the benefits of AI technology should not be concentrated in the hands of a few companies. “AI should be a basic service for everyone, not the exclusive property of a handful of big tech companies,” he said. “It is important that everyone shares equally in the benefits of AI and the wealth it creates.”

They also discussed building an open-source ecosystem to secure AI sovereignty. Rep. Lim said that countries should have the capacity to develop and use their own AI services without relying on the technology of specific global companies. He added that international discussions involving governments, legislatures, and industry are needed to achieve this.

Rep. Lim also introduced three major projects being pursued by South Korea: semiconductors, physical AI, and data centers. He described Samsung Electronics’ and SK hynix’s investments in semiconductor production facilities in Gwangju, as well as the city’s AI testing infrastructure, and proposed holding the international conference there. Suggested topics included the impact of AI development on jobs, income distribution, and economic and political systems.

CTO Mergenthaler was said to have shown positive interest in the proposal to host the international conference. He also agreed that discussions should focus on the tangible results AI technology is generating in industry and society.

Changes in manufacturing and the labor market were also discussed. Citing automated technologies such as robotic welding in South Korea’s shipbuilding industry, Rep. Lim explained the potential of physical AI. They also addressed workers’ job transitions and the ownership and compensation systems involved in converting skilled workers’ expertise into AI data.

CTO Mergenthaler also agreed on the importance of distributing the economic value created by AI. The two sides also discussed ways to enhance data center competitiveness, technological sovereignty, and environmental sustainability.

“I will develop Gwangju into an international hub for discussing the future of AI democracy, beyond its role as a city for AI testing,” Rep. Lim said. “We will continue discussions with the WEF with the goal of hosting an international conference in Gwangju in 2027.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.