Chairman Chey Tae-won: "AI Narrows Capability Gaps... Future Success Belongs to Social Problem Solvers"

Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Holds 'ERT Members Day'

"In the future, success will not be defined by those who simply earn a lot of money. Instead, those who actively solve social problems will become more prosperous and achieve true success."

Chey Tae-won, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, stated this during his opening speech at the "2026 ERT Members Day" held at the Chamber of Commerce building on May 20, 2026. He remarked, "Artificial intelligence (AI) technology will reduce the gap in knowledge and learning ability among people, ushering in an 'era of equality' where anyone can become a problem solver for society."

This marks the third edition of the event and saw an impressive gathering of over 500 participants, including Chairman Chey, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety Kim Minjae, Vice President of Samsung Electronics Jung Hyomyung, Vice President of SK Kim Eunjeong, as well as leaders from the business community, nonprofit foundations, and academia.

At the '2026 ERT Members Day' held on the afternoon of the 20th at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry building by the ERT (New Entrepreneurship Council) of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, business leaders including Taewon Chey, Chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Minjae Kim, Vice Minister of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, Hyomyung Jung, Vice President of Samsung Electronics, and Eunjeong Kim, Vice President of SK, are taking a commemorative photo.

Chairman Chey illustrated the impact of AI by saying, "If we imagine two people with knowledge and ability levels of 100 and 10, respectively, in the past, there was a tenfold gap in capability. However, when AI with a capability of 1,000 is introduced, one becomes 1,100 and the other 1,010." He emphasized that the advancement of AI is gradually narrowing the gap in capabilities between individuals.

He continued, "In the past, it was commonly believed that those with more formal education or experience had greater abilities, while young people or those lacking opportunities were thought to have limited skills. But AI effectively eliminates these differences in ability. We have now entered an era where everyone can solve far more problems with just a little effort."

He further stressed, "Going forward, success will be redefined—those who solve social problems will earn more and achieve greater success than those who merely accumulate wealth. While AI is highly likely to replace the act of making money, it is difficult to substitute the creation of warm human relationships based on emotional empathy. The future of success lies in this very area."

Choi Tae-won, chairman of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry, is delivering the opening address at the '2026 ERT Members Day' held at the Chamber of Commerce building on the 20th. Photo by Jin Young Kim

He also highlighted the importance of public-private cooperation in addressing social problems. Chairman Chey said, "The social challenges we face today are much more complex and structured than in the past. Simple efforts or the capabilities of a single company or government are not enough. What is needed now is not a loose partnership, but an organic combination of each party's capabilities and resources."

In line with this, the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry and the Ministry of the Interior and Safety signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish a cooperative system for regional co-prosperity and development. The two organizations agreed to build a platform for ongoing collaboration, which will include matching local collaboration needs with corporate social contributions, matching companies with youth inflow and start-up initiatives in local areas, and conducting campaigns to address regional depopulation.

Vice Minister Kim Minjae of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety expressed his expectations in a congratulatory address, stating, "There are limits to solving complex regional issues through government policies alone. Real breakthroughs can be found when the field expertise of local governments is combined with the execution capabilities of businesses."

Chairman Chey Tae-won of the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry (left) and Vice Minister Kim Min-jae of the Ministry of the Interior and Safety are experiencing Dot Corporation's smart tactile display "Dot Pad," designed to improve information accessibility for the visually impaired. Photo by Kim Jin-young

Meanwhile, the event also featured exemplary cases from member companies that have tackled social problems, in line with this year's theme of "connection and cooperation." LG HelloVision shared its experiences operating a local content-centered co-prosperity model, including participation in last year's 'Solverthon' (a social problem-solving idea contest) by the Ministry of the Interior and Safety and supporting the Yeongdeok Sand Run Marathon for youth villages.

McDonald's Korea shared the achievements of its "Taste of Korea" project, launched in 2021, which enhanced local brand value. The Center for Social Value Enhancement Studies (CSES) introduced the case of SK's Social Performance Incentive (SPC), a program that has promoted collaboration with 468 social enterprises over the past ten years.

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