National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik at SDF: "We Must Not Surrender 'Sovereignty Over Thought' to AI... Parliament Will Back It Up With Legislation"

National Assembly Speaker Cho Jeong-sik emphasized today (Nov. 5) at the SBS D Forum (SDF) held at the Dongdaemun Design Plaza (DDP) in Seoul that artificial intelligence (AI) has "begun to replace even thinking and judgment, which are the unique domains of humans, and we must protect human 'sovereignty over thought.'"

In his congratulatory remarks, Speaker Cho stated, "If machines in the past industrial era replaced human bodies, today's AI has begun to replace even computing power and reasoning, which we believed were uniquely human domains."

Speaker Cho continued, "We are increasingly getting used to asking AI and following its answers in our workplaces and daily lives," adding, "Sovereignty over thought is a call of the times, demanding that humans must not surrender the initiative of their lives and the dignity of reason amid the civilizational turning point of the AI revolution."

"Just as important as competing over the speed of technology is establishing institutional and social safety nets to ensure that technology does not undermine human autonomy and the essence of reason," Cho said.

Regarding the role of the National Assembly, Cho stated, "We will back this up with legislation so that technology does not replace human thought, but instead serves as a tool to expand human intelligence and potential."

In particular, evaluating the bipartisan 'Basic Act on Artificial Intelligence' as a first step, Cho emphasized, "We will firmly solidify the principles of AI ethics and data sovereignty, and resolutely protect the safety and fundamental rights of the public from deepfakes and algorithmic bias."

Cho also added, "We will establish an institutional foundation for education so that AI can be used properly in the digital environment."

Commenting on this year's SDF theme, "The Era of Surrogate Intelligence: Asking About Sovereignty Over Thought," Cho evaluated it as "a very timely and grave topic that raises the most fundamental question obscured by the speed of technology."

"No matter how much the times change, the driving force that transforms the world is only people," Cho said, adding, "I hope this serves as an opportunity for South Korea to exercise 'human-centric global leadership' beyond technology."

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※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.