Sunghee Yun (He/Him)

Co-Founder & CTO @ Erudio Bio, Inc., Co-Founder & Leader & Chair of Silicon Valley AI Nexus (AI Nexus), Advisor @ Korean American Semiconductor Professional Alliance (KASPA), CGO / Global Managing Partner @ LULUMEDIC, KFAS-Salzburg Global Leadership Initiative Fellow @ Salzburg Global Seminar, AI-Korean Medicine Integration Initiative Task Force Member @ The Association of Korean Medicine, Director of AI Semiconductor @ K-BioX, Visiting Professor @ Sogang University, Advisory Professor @ DGIST, Global Advisory Board Member @ Innovative Future Brain-Inspired Intelligence System Semiconductor of Sogang University, and Network Expert @ Gerson Lehrman Group

Abstract

The life sciences stand at a rare inflection point. AlphaFold’s breakthrough in protein structure prediction was only the opening act of a much larger transformation now unfolding across drug discovery, diagnostics, and precision medicine. Foundation models trained on biological sequences, molecular graphs, and multi-omics data are rapidly closing the gap between computational prediction and wet-lab reality, while a new generation of agentic AI systems — autonomous workflows that plan, execute, and iterate on complex research tasks — promises to fundamentally reshape how hypotheses are generated, experiments are designed, and therapeutic candidates are identified. This lecture traces the arc from AlphaFold to today’s agentic paradigm, offering life scientists a practitioner’s map of the technologies that matter most and, just as importantly, the ones that are still more hype than substance.

Beyond the technology itself, this talk examines the market forces and investment dynamics that are accelerating — and in some cases distorting — the AI-bio convergence. Drawing on firsthand experience building AI systems at Amazon, co-founding an SK Group AI company, and leading Erudio Bio’s Gates Foundation project–supported cancer diagnostics platform, the speaker connects the dots between Silicon Valley’s AI ecosystem and the life science value chain, from early-stage research tools to FDA/MFDS regulatory pathways to commercial deployment. Participants will gain a clear-eyed view of where capital is flowing, which business models are proving viable, and how the competitive landscape is shifting as big pharma, biotech startups, and tech giants converge on the same opportunities.

The lecture concludes with strategic frameworks for life scientists and biotech leaders navigating this rapidly evolving landscape. Rather than prescribing a single path, it lays out the key decisions — build vs. partner, platform vs. application, U.S. vs. global market entry — and the trade-offs each entails. Whether you are a bench researcher exploring how AI tools can accelerate your pipeline, a biotech entrepreneur evaluating where to place your next bet, or an industry leader rethinking organizational strategy for the agentic era, this talk aims to equip you with the integrated perspective — spanning technology, markets, and human judgment — needed to not merely survive the AI revolution in life sciences, but to thrive in it.