Nobel Laureates Visit Seoul: "What Makes a Great Scientist in the Age of AI"

World-renowned scholars, including three Nobel laureates, gathered with the South Korean public to discuss the future of science transformed by artificial intelligence (AI).

The Korean Academy of Science and Technology (KAST) announced that it co-hosted the "Nobel Prize Dialogue Seoul 2026" with Nobel Prize Outreach, an affiliate of Sweden's Nobel Foundation, at COEX in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, today (September 20).

The Nobel Prize Dialogue is an international special event modeled after the Nobel Week Dialogue, an academic event held locally in Sweden around December 10 each year when the Nobel Prize award ceremony takes place.

This marks the third time the event has been held in South Korea, following previous editions in 2017 and 2023.

Three laureates participated in this year's event: David MacMillan, professor at Princeton University and 2021 Nobel laureate in chemistry; Brian Schmidt, professor at the Australian National University and 2011 Nobel laureate in physics; and Craig Mello, professor at the University of Massachusetts and 2006 Nobel laureate in physiology or medicine.

In addition, 16 experts from diverse fields such as science and technology, art, and philosophy participated, communicating with an audience of about 1,200 people.

A discussion session was also held where six South Korean high school and university students talked with the Nobel laureates on the topic of what makes a great scientist in the age of AI.

Jung Jin-ho, president of KAST, said, "AI is rapidly changing the paradigm of scientific research, and this is a critical time when we must ponder its future together," adding, "It was a meaningful occasion to take the discussions on AI and science that KAST has continuously pursued to the next level with global scholars, and to paint the future of science in the AI era together with the public."

(Photo: Provided by the Korean Academy of Science and Technology, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.