Bridging Technology and Humanity - Reflections from Lyon, Salzburg, and München
posted: 10-Dec-2024 & updated: 20-Jan-2025
The future of AI must be shaped not just by technological advancement, but by a deep understanding of its human impact and cultural context.
Lyon
So there standing on Pont Lafayette, I, at last, had a chance to see the Rhône River after I met her for the first time 25 years ago in my favorite writer's books! Historic moment of my time!
In late 2024 (31-Nov-2024 ~ 09-Dec-2024), I embarked on a transformative European journey that wove together cutting-edge AI technology, global policy discussions, and rich cultural experiences. The journey began in Lyon, France, where I was invited by a longtime colleague - both a mathematics professor at Seoul National University and CEO of CryptoLab - to conduct an AI seminar and consultation at their research center. This intensive four-day engagement centered on the intersection of artificial intelligence (AI) and homomorphic cryptography, highlighting how academia and industry can collaborate to push the boundaries of secure AI implementations.
During our discussions, we delved into profound questions about the nature of Large Language Models (LLM) (and AI as a whole). We contemplated how systems based on conditional probability estimation and pattern recognition could demonstrate such remarkable capabilities—ones that not only seem to match but sometimes (seem to) surpass human abilities (whatever it is that we mean by human abilities). The intellectual caliber of these conversations required deep reasoning and keen insight, making the experience all the more enriching and stimulating. This was all possible thanks to the genius of the members of Lyon CryptoLab Research Center. Our discussions led us to a crucial realization: rather than debating whether AI has or will develop consciousness, the more fundamental question is understanding what consciousness itself means. It’s striking (almost) no debate about AI consciousness proceeds with acknowledging that we lack a concrete definition of consciousness, making subsequent arguments inherently fragile.
Salzburg
My journey as a KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative Fellow took me from Lyon to the historic city of Salzburg, Austria (where Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born and raised). The program was hosted at the majestic Schloss Leopoldskron, a baroque palace that served as the perfect backdrop for deep intellectual discourse and global collaboration.
There, I found myself among an extraordinary cohort of leaders representing diverse institutions including the United Nations (UN), European Union (EU), many universities from all over the world, big tech companies and small startup companies, embassies, and government and semi-government organizations in both public and private sectors. We had gathered for an ambitious program titled “Uncertain Futures and Connections Reimagined: Connecting Technologies,” which brought together minds from across the globe to address pressing technological challenges.
As a member of the “Technology, Growth, and Inequality: The Case of AI” working group, I delved into profound discussions about artificial intelligence’s impact on society and economy. Our focus centered on critical issues that define our technological future: the widening digital divide, ensuring equitable access to technology, addressing potential job displacement, and bridging the growing tech gap between different populations. Together, we worked to develop concrete strategies that could help shape a more inclusive and sustainable technological future. We share our deliverables via the website we developed as the first action items.
One of the most fascinating aspects of my experience was experiencing how individuals from vastly different backgrounds approached problems and reasoned through solutions. I was particularly intrigued by the perspectives of those from non-profit organizations, policy-making roles, and legal backgrounds—their insights reflected years of trial-and-error, sharing both the successes and failures encountered while implementing various policies and initiatives. This diversity of thought was genuinely thrilling! No, thrilling was an understatement!
I was equally grateful for the opportunity to contribute to these rich discussions by drawing from my own technical expertise, particularly in AI and Convex Optimization. My journey—from pursuing a Ph.D., to developing AI software for cutting-edge semiconductor technologies at Samsung, to maximizing revenue through AI algorithms and software services via Amazon’s Mobile Shopping App, leading the whole R&D and US Headquarters of Gauss Labs in Palo Alto, and finally to leading AI Technology and business development of newly founded AI & biotech company in Silicon Valley—provided unique insights into the technological landscape. Being at the heart of Silicon Valley, the birthplace of modern semiconductors, digital communication, internet, mobile technology, smart devices, and now the AI revolution, allowed me to bring practical, but yet fundamentally deep perspectives to these important discussions about our technological future.
I was honored to be given a chance to articulate these core perspectives, insights, future-predictions, and beliefs about technology and solutions to its challenges
in an interview with Salzburg Global Seminar.
(You can see the interview here.
)
The fellowship has established ongoing commitments, both online and in-person, to raise global awareness and drive meaningful change in how we develop and deploy AI technologies.
(More photos about this exciting journeys curated by Salzburg Global Seminar can be found here.
)
AI Era
Each technological revolution brings legitimate challenges, yet humanity has consistently demonstrated its capacity to develop protective measures, whether through policy, education, or cultural shifts.
The rapid pace of technological innovation, particularly in the realm of artificial intelligence (AI), is undeniably unprecedented. Paradoxically, this swift progress has generated considerable anxiety worldwide, with individuals expressing concerns about being left behind in a society that is evolving ever more rapidly, the displacement of jobs, and the potential for AI to surpass human intelligence. While some of these anxieties are well-founded, others are less so. Nevertheless, it is evident that AI will significantly impact society, particularly the labor market, affecting both blue-collar and white-collar knowledge workers. Perhaps most crucially, it will transform how we interact with—or, more accurately, are subtly influenced by—technology.
Throughout history, technological advancement has often been driven by forces beyond pure humanitarian ideals. Many pivotal innovations emerged from military necessity, economic competition, or the pursuit of national power rather than human wellbeing. The Industrial Revolution, while ultimately transforming living standards, was primarily fueled by commercial interests and imperial ambitions. The Space Race, despite its scientific achievements, was largely propelled by Cold War rivalry between the US and Soviet Union. Even modern digital technologies, from the internet to smartphones, were developed primarily through market forces seeking profit rather than deliberate efforts to enhance human happiness and conscious pursuit of humanity. — To be absolutely clear: This is not sarcasm. I am stating things objectively precisely as they are, even if the truth feels harsh.
Then historical patterns reveal society’s remarkable ability to adapt to disruptive technologies. When television emerged as a commercial medium, many predicted it would spell the end of cinema. While the movie industry ultimately survived, the adaptation came at a significant cost–numerous production companies faced bankruptcy during the transition period. A similar pattern emerged with the internet’s rise, as society grappled with protecting young students from harmful content. These concerns may have evolved over time, but addressing them required sustained effort and innovation. Each technological revolution brings legitimate challenges, yet humanity has consistently demonstrated its capacity to develop protective measures, whether through policy, education, or cultural shifts. While these solutions may not be perfect, they represent our collective ability to harness innovation’s benefits while mitigating its potential dangers.
Technology and humanity
We were guided by three fundamental principles: a philosophy of universal inclusion, demonstrable commitment to social good, and rigorous implementation standards.
So I think we should do the same with AI, or rather, I want to frame it this way: We should harness the very technology that impacts and alienates us to resolve the very problems it creates – the economic, social, and technological disparities, the challenges of equitable access, the disruption of labor markets, and the various ethical and legal issues that AI brings forth.
However, there is a crucial distinction to make. The changes and impacts that AI will bring are fundamentally different from previous technological revolutions throughout history. This difference stems from three key factors.
First, AI is unique among technologies. Unlike steam engines, digital communications, internet, mobile, and smart devices, AI prompts us to naturally anthropomorphize it. This tendency leads us to both misunderstand and fail to correctly recognize its true nature and capabilities. We project human qualities onto AI in ways we never did with previous technologies, clouding our ability to see it objectively. Second, the sheer scale and radius of AI’s impact is unprecedented, far surpassing any previous technological revolution. This magnitude is partly due to AI’s ability to exhibit (seemingly) human-level or more precisely human-type intelligence. Third, more fundamentally, AI transforms not just what we can do, but how we work, interact with, and relate to technology itself. This represents a shift not just in capability, but in the very nature of human-technology interaction.
At the Salzburg Global Seminar working group “Technology, Growth, and Inequality: The Case of AI,” we developed a comprehensive framework addressing AI’s societal impact. Our solutions encompass anti-discrimination safeguards in AI systems, initiatives to democratize access to AI technologies, and programs to bridge the digital divide across communities. We’ve designed interactive educational platforms to enhance AI literacy, while implementing targeted capacity-building programs for engineers, scientists, policymakers, and business leaders to foster responsible AI development. Central to our approach is the establishment of inclusive, multi-stakeholder dialogue to build social consensus around AI deployment.
To ensure truly equitable AI development, we’re guided by three fundamental principles: a philosophy of universal inclusion, demonstrable commitment to social good, and rigorous implementation standards. The fellowship has established a sustained global network, combining virtual collaboration platforms with regular remote or in-person convenings, to catalyze systemic change in AI development and deployment practices. This ongoing engagement will enable continuous knowledge sharing and adaptive strategy refinement as AI technology evolves.
Then Mozart!
The sound filled the space with a grandeur I'd never experienced before, as if the very walls of Salzburg amplified its resonance.
AI cannot touch our souls—a truth that, while not empirically provable, resonates far more deeply and compellingly, I mean, more compelling than proof!
I had to play the Mozart!
Standing in his city where he was born and raised, I found myself imagining the singular genius who transformed music forever. What would it have been like to be Mozart, that unique figure in musical history whose brilliance remains unmatched? Would he have sensed his own immortality, knowing future generations would still marvel at his work and no one like him would be born again? ever? The portrayal in the movie “Amadeus” shows him dismissing his contemporaries’ compositions, but was that truly his nature? I am sure that he knew he was the best, but would that have made him that arrogant? Or should I even call it arrogance at all? Could it have been that it was a simple objective observation of the obvious reality? And what of his inner life—was it filled with the pure joy of creation enjoying being the unique musician with gifts, or did living solely in the realm of music with the other muscles not being developed leave him somehow unfulfilled?
Though Beethoven speaks more deeply to my soul, there’s no denying Mozart’s transcendent genius, which has given me quite different types of awe throughout my life especially when I played the piano.
Drawn by this connection to history in Salzburg, after completing my duties as KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative Fellow on the last night, I searched the web for piano scores of Mozart’s Piano Sonatas in C major—both K. 330 and the famously beloved K. 545—and had them printed at the Schloss Leopoldskron’s front desk. Then I finally made that moment – I simply had to play. (I don’t know how to explain why and I don’t think any words can do it, but I just knew I had to.)
Though the grand piano showed signs of age with every touch on the keyboards, it could neither matter nor diminish the magnificence of the moment. The sound filled the space with a grandeur I’d never experienced before, as if the very walls of Salzburg amplified its resonance.
On the next day, while unplanned, I visited Mozart’s birthplace, which was truly transformative. Walking through the rooms where this musical prodigy once lived and created felt like stepping into a sacred space. Each artifact—from original portraits to family mementos and his instruments—offered a tangible link to his extraordinary legacy. Standing where such remarkable creativity once flourished served as a powerful reminder of human potential and genius, particularly poignant in our current era as we navigate the relationship between artificial intelligence and human capability.
This experience once again made me realize why I fundamentally disagree with those who claim AI can replicate such creative work (or even worse, those who claim creativity comes from sheer randomness). My opposition stems from two convictions: first, it’s simply not true from a scientific1 and logical standpoint, and I can (easily) show why using arguments and reasoning. But (way) more importantly, AI cannot touch our souls2—a truth that, while not empirically provable, resonates far more deeply and compellingly, I mean, more compelling than proof-because proof can prove only so much. (For) there is an authenticity to human creativity that cannot be simulated or replicated.3
(At the end of the day, what does proving something mean anyway? Does it not mean only that we have deduced something based on a handful of axioms that we assume are correct? … where the correctness of the axioms can never be proved because … they are axioms. :))
Finally München
My journey concluded with a (once again unplanned, but) delightful excursion to München. The timing couldn’t have been better as I arrived during the Feast of Saint Nicholas. What awaited me was far beyond the usual tourist experience – I found myself face-to-face with a Krampus, that fearsome horned creature from Alpine folklore! Despite its terrifying appearance with sharp teeth and dark fur, the encounter turned playful, resulting in an unexpectedly joyful selfie that captured both the whimsy and the preservation of ancient traditions.
The Gothic splendor of München’s Rathaus dominated the cityscape, its spires reaching into the winter sky like a medieval dream come true. Among the crowds at Marienplatz, I found myself immersed in the Christmas market’s festive atmosphere, the ornate façade of the town hall serving as a magnificent backdrop. The Ukrainian flag draped alongside traditional decorations added a poignant touch of contemporary solidarity to this historic setting, while the famous Glockenspiel told its centuries-old stories above the bustling square.
The culinary journey proved equally memorable, as I discovered authentic Bavarian hospitality in the city’s traditional beer halls. Under vaulted ceilings, I savored the simple pleasure of pristine HB Münchner beer served in traditional steins, their blue and crown logos promising centuries of brewing expertise. The crowning glory came with the Schweinshaxe – a masterfully prepared pork knuckle with perfectly crispy skin and tender meat, accompanied by a classic potato dumpling. These hearty Bavarian classics, enjoyed in the warm glow of historic establishments, provided the perfect finale to my European adventure.
Humans, humans, and humans!
This journey underscored a crucial insight — the future of AI must be shaped not just by technological advancement, but by a deep understanding of its human impact and cultural context. From the technical depths of cryptography in Lyon to the global policy discussions in Salzburg, through the inspiring genius of Mozart, and finally to the cultural richness of München, each experience reinforced that successful AI technology requires a holistic approach that considers technical innovation, societal impacts, and human values in equal measure.
- Here by "scientific", I mean not only natural science, but also neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, and even physiology. ↩
- Here by the soul, I do not mean the soul we mean generally, e.g., in a religious or spiritual sense. Rather this is something that every human can universally experience first-hand as a fundamental aspect of conscious existence - the raw substrate of subjective experience itself. Or for that matter, something that every intelligent being (whatever the “intelligence” means here) may be able to universally experience. — This is quite involved philosophical arguments, or even deeper than that. ↩
- Those who suggest otherwise fundamentally misunderstand both the nature of AI and the essence of human artistic expression. ↩