Labor Excluded from National AI Strategy Committee, Sparking Governance Controversy

Criticism has emerged regarding the fairness of the committee tasked with discussing the direction of AI technological development, as not a single labor representative was included among the 36 private members appointed to the government's National Artificial Intelligence (AI) Strategy Committee.

Experts expressed concern that such a biased committee composition could influence AI industry development policies. They pointed out that a governance structure focused solely on AI technology advancement might fail to adequately reflect the interests of workers, such as concerns about job insecurity and workforce restructuring. One expert noted that Korean society approaches AI issues from an industrial policy perspective, and a committee structure centered on industry would struggle to control the negative impacts on vulnerable social groups. He emphasized the need for broad social participation and checks and balances to prevent the side effects of this massive technological transition.

The Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KCTU) highlighted the issue of labor's exclusion despite the direct impact of AI adoption on jobs and working environments. The KCTU plans to demand improvements, stressing the necessity of social consensus between labor and management. They cited the participation of Korean Confederation of Trade Unions (KFTU) representatives in the 4th Industrial Revolution Committee during the Moon Jae-in administration as a precedent for the importance of labor involvement.

The National AI Strategy Committee, elevated to a statutory body following the enactment of the 'Framework Act on the Development and Trust Promotion of Artificial Intelligence (AI Basic Law)', is the supreme body overseeing and coordinating government-wide AI policies. The President serves as its chairperson, responsible for establishing the national AI vision, coordinating inter-ministerial policies, and setting investment directions.

An official from the National AI Strategy Committee explained that issues related to employment and workforce transition are being sufficiently addressed by the Ministry of Employment and Labor, and that the minister's participation as a government committee member allows for the incorporation of labor's views. They also noted that some oversight bodies, such as the Ministry of Gender Equality and Family and the Korea Fair Trade Commission, were not included as government committee members.