Sunghee Yun

Co-founder & CTO @ Erudio Bio, Inc., KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative Fellow @ Salzburg Global Seminar, Adjunct Professor @ Sogang University, Advisory Professor @ DGIST

Abstract

The AI Renaissance represents a pivotal transformation in how we understand and interact with technology, reshaping knowledge paradigms, business innovation, and social structures. This seminar examines the rapid evolution of artificial intelligence from its conceptual origins to today’s breakthrough applications, analyzing both the unprecedented technological advancements and their wide-ranging implications. By exploring the history of AI development through key milestones including AlphaGo, Transformer architectures, and multimodal systems, we establish context for understanding current capabilities and future trajectories.

Central to our discussion is the emergence of AI agents powered by large language models (LLMs) and generative AI technologies that are fundamentally altering human-computer interaction and decision-making processes. These technologies demonstrate remarkable abilities in understanding complex environments, reasoning across multiple modalities, and adapting to contextual demands—capabilities that promise to transform everything from scientific research and creative collaboration to healthcare diagnostics and environmental monitoring. The seminar critically evaluates these developments not merely as technological achievements but as catalysts for profound economic and social reorganization.

Finally, we examine the ethical imperatives and governance challenges in an AI-enriched future, highlighting both the extraordinary benefits and potential pitfalls of these technologies. Drawing from insights gained through the KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative, we explore strategies for empowering humanity through responsible AI development—including capacity building, bias mitigation, transparency frameworks, and participatory social agreements. The seminar concludes by advocating for a paradigm shift in technological implementation: one that systematically channels AI capabilities toward human-centric solutions, transforming automation from replacement to enhancement of human capabilities.