“An era in which AI makes its own decisions... Human control and accountability must be clearly defined”

[Financial News] Use of “autonomous AI,” which collects data and makes judgments and decisions on its own without human intervention, is growing. However, concerns have been raised that legal and institutional safeguards are inadequate to address privacy violations and determine accountability when accidents occur. Establishing “human-centered control” was presented as an urgent task.
Yonsei University's Barun ICT Research Center said on the 19th that it had successfully held the 15th Asia Privacy Protection Cooperation Forum (APB Forum) 2026 at the FKI Tower Conference Center in Yeouido, Seoul, on the 16th, jointly with the Korea CPO Forum and Singapore Management University.
Experts stressed that clear oversight frameworks must be established at every stage, from AI development to deployment and operation, to prevent risks such as data manipulation and personal data leaks that could arise as multiple AI systems interact to make decisions. They agreed that control procedures must allow human intervention at the final decision-making stage to prevent gaps in accountability that could arise when AI makes decisions autonomously.
Other key tasks discussed included closing regulatory gaps in the current Personal Information Protection Act, ensuring that each country can secure control over its own data and AI technologies, and establishing an international cooperation framework for the safe use of data across borders.
Now in its 15th edition, the forum brought together participants from universities, research institutes and companies in Korea and abroad, as well as experts in law and policy, to share insights into the technical characteristics of autonomous AI and the privacy protection policies and practical experience of countries across Asia.

[email protected] Kim Man-gi Reporter