Lee Jae-myung Proposes New Chief AI Policy Advisor for 'Private Sector-Led Era'

The Democratic Party's presidential candidate Lee Jae-myung recently held a discussion session titled 'Seeds of Innovative Growth, Startup Level Up!' with representatives of social ventures at Maryhere in Seongdong-gu, Seoul. At this event, candidate Lee emphasized that 'the private sector is now far superior to the public sector,' underscoring the need for a shift in the direction of administration. He acknowledged the limitations of a president's perception and proposed appointing a dedicated AI chief advisor and activating an AI committee to leverage the private sector's excellent capabilities. The social venture representatives who attended the discussion session presented successful cases combining innovative ideas with social value in their respective fields, as well as policy proposals. Kim Jong-gyu, CEO of SixtyHertz, cited Germany's renewable energy transition as an example, emphasizing the importance of investment in renewable energy as 'a way not to pass on debt to future generations.' Candidate Lee positively evaluated the value of inheriting eco-friendly energy infrastructure such as solar power, comparing it to nuclear power plants, and drew admiration from attendees by easily explaining even the complex concept of virtual power plants. Song In-hyuk, CEO of Unique Good Company, demonstrated through the example of JTBC's 'Crime Scene' real-space mystery game in China that 'the magic of imbuing space with story' creates immense industrial value. Candidate Lee expressed great interest, recognizing that the cultural industry is a core item for balanced regional development. Yoon Seok-won, CEO of AI Works, shared the philosophy of 'AI for All' through the employment of vulnerable groups such as people with developmental disabilities, and emphasized the importance of the 'ESG AI Voucher Project' for solving social problems and the development of open-source-based hyper-scale AI models. Kim Jung-tae, CEO of MYSC, put forward specific policy proposals such as: ▲including social ventures in economic delegations during overseas visits, ▲introducing a tax credit trading system for companies solving social problems (mentioning the US IRA case), and ▲creating dedicated funds for social ventures when investing in regions, to which candidate Lee promised active consideration. At the end of the discussion, candidate Lee mentioned the 'dilemma of the third sector,' where the boundaries between the private and public sectors become blurred, and saw that in the AI era, the negative effects of privatization could be minimized through the establishment of efficient control systems. Furthermore, he deeply sympathized with the concept of an 'entrepreneurial politician' presented by Kim Jong-gyu, CEO of SixtyHertz, emphasizing that a leader should be an entrepreneurial type who directs administrators. He once again stressed the importance of private-sector-led growth, citing the '5-day mask miracle' during COVID-19 as an example achieved through private sector capabilities. Candidate Lee declared a 'breakup with the government-led growth model of the past' but at the same time revealed a contradictory point by advocating for a dedicated AI chief advisor and the activation of an AI committee. However, the article analyzes that this contradiction could be a representation of entrepreneurial leadership that demonstrates flexible adaptability rather than dogmatic consistency in a rapidly changing era. The discussion concluded with an emphasis that only when the vision of a 'social unicorn,' where private sector efficiency and public value, innovation and warmth coexist, creatively resolves this contradiction, will it truly lead to 'a new beginning for the Republic of Korea.'