Han Ki-jung "Concerns Raised from the Perspective of Manipulated AI Algorithm Competition Law"

Fair Trade Commission and Competition Law Association Joint Academic Conference

[Image source=Yonhap News]

As competition among companies to monetize artificial intelligence (AI) intensifies, the head of the competition authority has issued a warning that concerns are emerging from a competition law perspective regarding biased and manipulated AI algorithms.

On the 21st, Han Ki-jung, Chairman of the Korea Fair Trade Commission, stated in his welcome address at the joint academic conference with the Korean Association of Competition Law on the theme of 'AI and Competition Law' that "While AI technology is gaining attention as a new engine of innovative growth, due to its development characteristics requiring large-scale capital and computing infrastructure, there are concerns that a few big tech companies may establish market entry barriers, and that consumer choice could be restricted by biased or manipulated AI algorithms, raising competition law concerns."

He added, "International discussions on the role of competition authorities in the AI field are already actively underway, and it is an important time to explore policy responses considering AI and to discuss future directions for competition law enforcement."

This academic conference, attended by scholars and private experts, was organized to discuss competition law issues that may arise from the development of AI technology and to consider the future direction of competition law enforcement and competition policy in the AI era.

Shin Young-soo, President of the Korean Association of Competition Law, said, "Although AI-related competition law cases have not yet appeared domestically, they will soon emerge as a key topic in the competition law academic community," and added, "At the conference, we will seek legal and institutional considerations and alternatives regarding various issues arising at the intersection of AI and competition law."

The conference began with a keynote speech by Professor Emeritus Kwon Oh-seung of Seoul National University, followed by a session chaired by Professor Lee Ho-young of Hanyang University, featuring presentations such as 'Fairness of Algorithms: From the Perspective of the Fair Trade Act' (Professor Lim Yong, Seoul National University), 'Possibility of Competition Law Regulation of Collusion through AI Algorithms' (Professor Choi Seung-jae, Sejong University), and 'Legal Issues of AI Training Data: Focusing on the Protection of Rights Holders and Conflicts with Competition Law' (Professor Kim Byung-pil, KAIST).

In the subsequent panel discussion chaired by Professor Lee Bong-ui of Seoul National University, participants included Attorney Kim Kyung-yeon (Kim & Chang Law Firm), U.S. Attorney Kim Hee-eun (Head of Competition Policy, Meta Asia-Pacific), Song Dae-seop (Director of Naver Agenda Research Institute), Lee Joon-heon (Director of Market Surveillance Policy Division, Korea Fair Trade Commission), Professor Lee Hyuk (Kangwon National University), and Professor Joo Jin-yeol (Pusan National University).

The Fair Trade Commission plans to publish an AI policy report within the year, incorporating the discussions from the day as well as communications with experts and stakeholders to address competition and consumer issues in the AI market.

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