Today, artificial intelligence (AI) is permeating every aspect of our lives and becoming more closely connected to our daily lives. From home appliances such as vacuum cleaners and TVs to shopping recommendation algorithms and movie production, AI is helping our lives in various ways. According to IDC Korea, the domestic AI market in 2023 is expected to grow 17.2% year-on-year to record sales of approximately KRW 2.6123 trillion, and to reach approximately KRW 4.4636 trillion in 2027. This shows how fast AI technology is growing.

Lessons from Japan’s Case

Japan is making efforts to inform the public about how AI technology can help their lives by experiencing it firsthand. For example, when I visited an AI conference held in Japan, employees wearing ear microphones communicated with visitors in real time, collected customer opinions, and used them as the central topic for the next meeting to continue business. In contrast, Korean AI conferences are mainly focused on technology architecture or document exhibitions, and lack elements that encourage visitors to experience and participate.

Japan has succeeded in popularizing AI technology based on this experiential approach. For example, the subway kiosks in Japan provide tourist information through AI systems that support multiple languages ​​and help people buy tickets with a few simple touches. This is an example of technology directly making users’ lives more convenient, showing that AI can be recognized for its raison d’etre only when it provides practical value beyond mere technical achievements.

AI as a tool to help people

Steve Jobs did not simply promote the iPhone based on its performance. He described it as a tool to connect family and friends, drawing sympathy from people. AI should not stop at praising technology itself. In order to establish itself as a tool to improve human lives, it must provide practical and relatable value.

There is a case where Persona AI won the Innovation Award at the Fintech Week held by the Financial Services Commission. By incorporating AI technology into kiosks, it made it easy for seniors and foreigners to make inquiries in their own language, receive directions, or check corporate information.

This is a successful example of technology establishing itself as a tool to help people. It was later applied to insurance companies to simplify the insurance claim process. It reduced the process that took an average of 30 minutes to just 3 minutes, and provided real-time help by recognizing emotions and age. This technology proved its value by not simply simplifying procedures, but also providing practical help for those who have difficulty using technology.

In addition, there is a case that won the grand prize in the GEN-AI competition, where sLLM was fully fine-tuned and improved, and sLLM processed the fallback answers that could not be answered by linking it to a chatbot, thereby increasing the answer rate.

Many of the concerns of users using chatbots were that they could not answer and were not smart, but it was applied to a bank and expanded to handle 72 tasks such as loans and claims on a single platform by linking all interfaces. Unlike chatbots that were limited to simple answering functions, this technology allows users to solve desired tasks in natural language without having to navigate to a separate app or website. This not only greatly improved the user experience, but also shows how technology can increase human efficiency and simplify life.

The potential of human augmentation

AI technology is moving beyond simply providing convenience to expanding human capabilities. This is called ‘human augmentation’. It refers to technology that overcomes physical, emotional, and cognitive limitations. For example, there are cases where AI-based assistive devices provide real-time voice navigation services for the visually impaired, or language translators allow people to communicate with people around the world in real time. These technologies complement human limitations and open up new possibilities.

Another example of AI is the healthcare sector. IBM’s AI Watson analyzes thousands of medical data to suggest cancer diagnoses and treatment plans. It contributes to improving the accuracy of medical care by supplementing details that doctors may have missed in the past. This shows the power of technology that goes beyond simply being a tool to help doctors, to saving human lives.

AI augments human capabilities.

AI, Human Connection, and the Future

AI truly demonstrates its value when it is naturally connected to human life. This is an important perspective that technology developers, policymakers, and companies should all consider. Only AI that focuses on human life and develops in a way that expands its limits can be recognized as a true ‘tool’.

In the future, AI should develop in a way that replaces repetitive and mechanical tasks and helps humans focus on more creative and emotional work. Through this, AI will become a companion that expands human possibilities beyond mere convenience. Like the slogan “Become stronger with AI,” AI should establish itself as an important axis that leads our lives in a better direction.

Ultimately, the ultimate goal of AI is to draw out and enhance human potential. To this end, technology should be designed based on a deep understanding and consideration of humans. When technology is naturally connected to human life, we will be able to open the door to new possibilities with AI.

| Seungjae Yoo, CEO of Persona AI

- Original text: https://www.fnnews.com/news/202502191428028652