Lee Sedol and Lee Changho Together... UNIST Questions Human Capabilities in the AI Era

"After AlphaGo: Human Moves" Talk Concert
Self-Designed Education Model Also Unveiled

Lee Changho, a national master representing Korean Go, and Lee Sedol, 9-dan, will share the stage to engage in a discussion on human judgment and creativity in the era of artificial intelligence (AI). The event will also highlight the need for university education to shift from 'finding the right answer' to 'designing questions.'

On April 29, UNIST (Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology) announced that it will hold 'UNIST Open Stage 1' at 2 p.m. on May 6 in the main auditorium. The theme is 'The Future Arriving First on the Go Board: A Move in the AI Era Delivered by Lee Changho and Lee Sedol.' This is a public event open to all citizens.

Poster for the UNIST GRIT Talent Convergence Department Talk Concert (A Move in the AI Era Delivered by Lee Chang-ho and Lee Sedol). Provided by UNIST

This discussion will focus on exploring the unique capabilities of humans in the AI era through the symbolic example of Go. Drawing from their distinct playing styles, the two Go masters will discuss changes in human thinking after AlphaGo, defeat and slumps at the top level, experiences of making a comeback, and areas where only humans can excel. In particular, Lee Sedol, 9-dan, is expected to shed new light on the meaning of human intuition and creativity through his past experience playing against AlphaGo.

The event marks the first public program to announce the launch of the newly established 'GRIT Talent Convergence Department' at UNIST. This department advocates a future-oriented education model in which students independently design their own majors and academic curricula. Instead of traditional departments, incoming students will create their own academic pathways based on their research questions and career goals, receiving project-based inquiry education (PBI) and one-on-one faculty guidance.

The evaluation system will also change. To reduce excessive competition for grades and encourage challenging learning, the P/NR (Pass/No Record—where only completion is recorded and non-completion does not result in a grade) system will be applied. This is designed to lower the burden of failure and allow students to take on a variety of courses and projects.

Upon graduation, students will receive either a Bachelor of Science in Convergence or a Bachelor of Engineering in Convergence, and the major name designed by the student will be officially listed on their academic transcript. The department plans to recruit new students through the 'GRIT Talent Selection' process starting from the 2027 academic year.

Kim Cheolmin, Head of the GRIT Talent Convergence Department, stated, "We aim for an education where a single question posed by a student becomes their major, and the process of failure and retry is accumulated in their portfolio," adding, "Our goal is to develop the breakthrough power needed to pioneer unknown territories in an era coexisting with AI."

Chong Rae Park, President of UNIST, said, "In the AI era, universities must nurture students' ability to formulate their own questions and find solutions independently," adding, "I hope this event will be an opportunity to reaffirm the unique perseverance, creativity, and judgment of humans."

Meanwhile, UNIST Open Stage will continue as a series of programs. At the end of May, a screening and artist talk featuring media artist Kim Ahyoung, a special professor, are scheduled.

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