Chairman Chey Tae-won Says Talent Standards Are Changing in the AI Era, Urges Companies to Consider How to Use It

[Financial News] Chey Tae-won, chairman of SK Group and head of the Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies, said that “the standards for talent are changing in the era of artificial intelligence (AI)” and stressed that “we need to think about how to work with and make use of AI in our own research and areas of expertise.”
On the 22nd, Chey made the remarks to recipients of the 'KFAS New Scholar Award' and scholarship students preparing to study abroad at the foundation building in Gangnam District, Seoul. He added that while each person’s contribution is important, much greater change can be created when many people are connected and cooperate. “Just as one tree grows into a large tree and life grows beneath it to form a forest, I hope you will become large trees in your own places and create an environment where more people can grow together,” he said.
Chey also said, “With the spirit of 'eating the water and remembering its source,' please remember that today’s achievements were made possible not only by individual talent and effort, but also by the opportunities created by society.” He added, “I hope you become talented people who contribute your abilities and skills back to the society that raised you.”
The 'KFAS New Scholar Award' was established to support early-career researchers who are taking their first steps toward becoming independent scholars after earning a doctoral degree. This year’s recipients were Kim Jin-hwan, professor at Kyung Hee University College of Medicine; Yang Jae-seok, professor in the Department of Geography at Chonnam National University; and Choi Seok-young, professor in the School of Communication, Public Relations and Broadcasting at Yonsei University.
Each recipient will receive a total of 40 million won, including research funding. Beyond financial support, the foundation helps young researchers build academic networks so they can grow into world-class scholars. To that end, it operates seminars, peer research exchanges, and mentoring programs with leading scholars in Korea and abroad. It also plans follow-up activities so research achievements can lead to social change and policy innovation.
The Korea Foundation for Advanced Studies is a public-interest foundation established in 1974 by the late Choi Jong-hyun, the former chairman, based on the belief that “trees are planted with a 10-year horizon, and people are nurtured with a 100-year horizon.” The foundation did not include the company name or the founder’s pen name in its title, reflecting its commitment to cultivating outstanding talent.
The foundation has supported outstanding Korean students so they can complete doctoral programs at top-tier universities around the world. It covers full tuition as well as living expenses for five years, and does not impose any separate obligations.
It has also continued its support through crises such as the 1997 IMF Crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic, allowing scholarship students to focus solely on their studies. Over the past 52 years, the foundation has supported more than 5,300 scholarship recipients through overseas study scholarships and special university scholarship programs, and has produced more than 1,000 doctoral degree holders from leading universities worldwide.

[email protected] Jung Won-il Reporter