A Decade After AlphaGo... Lee Sedol and Lee Changho: "Humans Must Keep Asking Questions"

"What Matters More Than the Answer Is Your Own Question"
Highlighting Human Competitiveness in the Age of AI

"AI can deliver answers more quickly. However, it is ultimately up to humans to decide what questions to ask and how to make those answers their own."

Two legendary figures in Korean Go who experienced the AlphaGo shock firsthand—Go Master Lee Changho and UNIST Distinguished Professor Lee Sedol—stood together on stage to discuss the role of humans and the future of human competitiveness in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

Professor Lee Sedol (left) and Go Master Lee Changho are speaking at the UNIST GRIT Department Open Stage Talk Concert "A Move Ahead on the Board: A Move from Lee Changho and Lee Sedol in the AI Era." Provided by UNIST.

At the "UNIST Open Stage 1" talk concert held at the main auditorium of Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST) on May 6, the two Go masters shared their insights on the meaning of judgment, creativity, and perseverance needed by humans in the age of AI. The event's theme was "A Move Ahead on the Board: A Move from Lee Changho and Lee Sedol in the AI Era." With over 200 students and citizens in attendance, the two engaged in a conversation about what constitutes uniquely human competitiveness, drawing from their experiences reading moves and reviewing games in Go.

This is also why UNIST chose Go as the theme for its first public stage. Go is a symbolic field where humans first faced the full impact of AI. AI has upended not only the strategies and review methods but also the very basics of Go training culture and the general understanding of what makes a "good move." However, both emphasized that the more AI excels at finding answers, the more important it becomes for humans to have the ability to understand answers and formulate new questions.

"There is a difference between seeing an answer and understanding it"

Both reached the top of the world with different styles. Master Lee Changho was called the "Stone Buddha" for his unwavering concentration and precise positional judgment, while Professor Lee Sedol was known for his intuition and bold moves that overturned the course of games.

Reference photo to help understand the article. Match between AI AlphaGo and 9-dan Lee Sedol. Photo by The Asia Business Daily DB

Master Lee Changho said, "A good move comes in moments of uncertainty," and added, "It is the time spent thinking and persevering until the end that ultimately builds skill." Professor Lee Sedol said, "A creative move may seem to appear out of nowhere, but in reality, it comes from countless failures and persistent effort," stressing, "To see a path others cannot, you must have your own questions."

Both viewed AI not merely as a matter of winning or losing, but as an "issue of interpretation." They explained that the more answers AI provides, the more humans need the ability to connect those answers with their own judgment.

Professor Lee Sedol stated, "What matters more than the fact that AI is strong is whether a person can look at that answer and form new questions," adding, "Judgment—the ability to make your own choices even in unfamiliar situations—is necessary." Master Lee Changho also said, "There is a difference between seeing the answer and understanding the path that leads to it," and emphasized, "Even if AI shows you a good move, it is ultimately a human's task to make it their own."

"Failure is not the end but the beginning of the next question"

The discussion moved on to the meaning of failure and trying again. Both revealed that even after reaching the top, they repeatedly experienced slumps and defeats.

Master Lee Changho said, "The games I lost linger longer than those I won," and pointed out, "The time spent confronting and reflecting on painful defeats is what creates the next opportunity to win." Professor Lee Sedol remarked, "There is no one who never fails," and continued, "What matters is whether you stop there or continue to seek the next move." He added, "I hope students will see failure not as the end, but as the start of their next question."

This event also served as an introduction to the educational philosophy of the newly established "GRIT Talent Convergence Department" at UNIST. Instead of being affiliated with an existing department, students in the GRIT Talent Convergence Department design their own academic paths centered on their research questions and areas of interest. Kim Cheolmin, Head of the UNIST GRIT Talent Convergence Department, explained, "In the AI era, the ability to endure and design questions in areas without clear answers is just as important as the ability to quickly find the right answer."

Chong Rae Park, President of UNIST, said, "A university must help students develop the ability to formulate their own questions, endure failure, and find their own solutions," adding, "This event demonstrated that perseverance, creativity, and judgment—qualities unique to humans—are the core requirements for future talent."

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