Sunghee Yun (He/Him)

Co-Founder & CTO @ Erudio Bio, Inc., Co-Founder & CEO @ Erudio Bio Korea, Inc., Leader of Silicon Valley Privacy Preserving AI Forum (K-PAI), AI-Korean Medicine Integration Initiative Task Force Member @ The Association of Korean Medicine, KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative Fellow @ Salzburg Global Seminar, Visiting Professor @ Sogang University, Advisory Professor @ DGIST, Global Advisory Board Member @ Innovative Future Brain-Inspired Intelligence System Semiconductor of Sogang University, Network Expert @ Gerson Lehrman Group, Chief Business Development Officer @ WeStory.ai, and Advisor @ CryptoLab, Inc.

Abstract

The convergence of artificial intelligence and biotechnology is fundamentally reshaping drug discovery and diagnostics, moving from hypothesis-driven research to data-driven, AI-augmented innovation. This lecture explores how recent breakthroughs in Large Language Models (LLMs), generative AI, and agentic AI systems are creating unprecedented opportunities in precision medicine, biomarker discovery, and therapeutic development. Yet understanding these advances requires seeing beyond surface-level applications to their mathematical foundations—the same principles of convex optimization that once revolutionized semiconductor manufacturing and e-commerce recommendation systems now unlock new possibilities in therapeutic development. Drawing from direct experience applying these theoretically consistent frameworks across radically different industries, we examine how fundamental mathematical insights translate into practical breakthroughs whether optimizing chip fabrication processes, personalizing product recommendations, or identifying cancer biomarkers.

This cross-industry perspective reveals patterns invisible to domain specialists working in isolation. The lecture synthesizes lessons from building AI systems at Samsung Semiconductor, generating $200M+ revenue impact through machine learning at Amazon, and now co-founding AI-powered biotech ventures in both Silicon Valley and Korea. Each industry transition illuminated not just technological parallels, but deeper insights into how innovation actually scales—the interplay between technical architecture and business models, the critical role of data generation infrastructure, the challenges of regulatory navigation, and the art of building interdisciplinary teams. We explore how competitive advantages emerge at unexpected intersections: how semiconductor process control insights inform biomarker multiplexing strategies, how e-commerce personalization frameworks reshape precision medicine approaches, and how the Valley’s culture of rapid iteration meets healthcare’s imperative for rigorous validation.

The entrepreneurial reality extends far beyond technology development into the complex ecosystems of academia, industry partnerships, investment landscapes, and multi-country regulatory frameworks. This lecture shares strategic frameworks and practical insights across the full spectrum—from mathematical foundations through technical implementation to market positioning, fundraising dynamics, and sustainable business model design. Having navigated these waters as both technical founder and strategic advisor across AI, semiconductor, cryptography, and biotech ventures, the session offers a uniquely holistic view: not just what makes good technology, but what makes technology matter. We conclude by examining Korea’s distinctive positioning at the convergence of AI, advanced manufacturing, and bio-medical innovation—and the opportunities for the next generation to build ventures that are not just technically sophisticated, but strategically differentiated and meaningfully impactful in advancing human health.