Yoon: "Right to Choose and Control Technology as Important as Right to Survival"… Emphasizes Global Solidarity

President Yoon Attends Dubai Forum on Future Vision
Quotes Einstein: "The World is Changing Fast... A New Map is Needed"

[Asia Economy Reporter Ki-min Lee] President Yoon Suk-yeol stated on the 17th (local time) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE), that "the right to choose technology and the right to control technology are as important to us, who pursue peace and prosperity, as the right to survival."

President Yoon attended the 'Future Vision Dubai Forum' held at the Museum of Future in Dubai on the same day and said, "Depending on how we develop and utilize science and technology, science and technology can completely change our future."

The Museum of Future, which opened in February last year, differs from traditional museums that exhibit past records by realizing the future in a virtual space.

At the forum, scholars such as Richard David Heims, Chairman of the Asia Future Planning Institute, Linda Mills, Senior Vice President of New York University, and Ray O. Johnson, Director of the UAE Technology Innovation Institute, as well as government officials from both countries including Sarah Al Amiri, UAE Minister of State for Advanced Technology, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Economy Choo Kyung-ho, and Minister of Science and ICT Lee Jong-ho, participated as panelists. Over 150 ministers and businesspeople from both countries attended as the audience.

After touring exhibits related to space and bio, President Yoon repeatedly emphasized at the forum the need to protect human dignity through scientific and technological innovation and to engage in global scientific and technological solidarity to solve human problems.

[Image source=Yonhap News]

President Yoon first quoted 20th-century genius physicist Albert Einstein’s saying, "You cannot explore the world with an old map," stating, "We live in a world that changes day by day. Scenes from science fiction movies become reality, and many daily needs can be solved instantly with a single touch on a smartphone." He added, "By the time we get used to new technology, that technology becomes a thing of the past," and said, "Now is the time for us to have a new map."

He then mentioned that the future can change depending on how science and technology are utilized and explained regarding the right to choose and control technology, "To use the given authority correctly, we must first design the right future, and design standards are absolutely necessary." He emphasized, "There is a value that we can never give up and must never give up, and that is human dignity."

He also stressed the importance of protecting human dignity even in a society where artificial intelligence (AI) and robot technologies are commercialized. President Yoon said, "As we become accustomed to AI, there may be cases where we transfer our decision-making authority entirely to AI," and pointed out, "Science and technology must evolve through continuous innovation but must fully contribute to realizing the values we aspire to."

President Yoon added, "Now, through solidarity and cooperation based on science and technology, we must overcome common global crises such as the climate crisis, pandemics, aging populations, and low growth, design a future where human dignity is respected as the highest value, and realize it through global solidarity."

The Presidential Office stated, "To continue discussing the universal value enhancement and solving human problems through the scientific and technological solutions proposed by President Yoon, a Future Vision Forum will be held in Seoul in the near future."

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