[UFO column] Park Jae-joon, CEO of Antock
The world is bustling because of the AI (artificial intelligence) chatbot “Chat GPT.” Many people were amazed and fascinated by the AI's ability to solve American University Entrance Examination (SAT) questions, clearly answer questions entered by humans, and even write essays skillfully. It is reported that the MAU (number of monthly active users) of Chat GPT surpassed 100 million in January, two months after launch. Many experts even assert that this is the end of search and explain that this is not just a fad, but an innovative “game changer” technology that can replace existing search engines.
The advent of the chat GPT service is not just a product launch event for one company, but a sign that AI competition is in full swing in the global market. As a result, discussions on ways to develop and utilize generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI) technology are expanding in Korea as well. In the private sector, large IT companies and big techs have successively announced their ambitions to develop and launch a 'K-chat GPT' (K-chat GPT), and the government is also announcing a 'super giant AI' industrial policy during this month to foster AI companies and build an ecosystem.
The Korean government, companies, and academia are busy preparing strategies to upgrade technology, but I can't get rid of the feeling that the response time is lagging behind. The chat GPT service seems to have appeared before our eyes like a comet, but it is definitely not a technology that was completed overnight. Generative AI technology is an area that has been preceded by tens of trillions of won of investment over the years in major global markets, including the US. Meanwhile, related business and academic discussions have also been actively held. Therefore, it is unfortunate that chat GPT support will only be spurred after commercialization rather than in the development phase.
It's not just chat GPT; technologies such as metaverse, digital twins, and quantum computers, which have been intensively promoted in the limelight in Korea since 2020, are also topics where basic concepts were established long ago in overseas markets and have been studied and tested over a considerable period of time. For example, the term metaverse first appeared in the American science fiction novel “Snow Crash” (Snow Crash) 32 years ago, and global IT companies began full-scale technology development to implement virtual reality in the early 2000s.
It is said that digital twin, a technology that reproduces real physical products, machines, and processes in the digital world, has also been actively used in the development of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) space shuttle since the 1970s. Many of these technologies that we feel are new actually have deep historical contexts. We may be accepting it as a new technology because we recognize and get interested in a specific technology from the moment it is actively discussed in the media, refined into an actual service, and fully experienced its performance.
Therefore, if you seek to discover related companies and develop technology from the time technology trends become visible, you are bound to lag far behind in the global technology competition. This is because there is a high possibility that the development of the original technology has already progressed quite a bit in overseas markets. Therefore, before market demand is formed and becomes a hot topic, it would be wise to make proactive response efforts by closely observing overseas technology development trends and capturing promising technologies. Regularly reviewing the investment portfolios of global venture capital firms and tracking analytical content from technology platforms may also be a good idea.
The phenomenon of technology synchronization (Technology Synchronization), where global and domestic technological development trends are on the same page, is clear. The development of original technology is also important, but in times like this, a “fast follower” (Fast Follower) strategy is needed to quickly piggyback on global trends and gain international competitiveness. By constantly monitoring and supporting the direction of technology development in major overseas countries, companies, and institutions, the government will be able to establish timely industrial development policies, financial institutions will be able to advance the market and preempt investment destinations, and innovative companies will be able to prepare for the international stage.
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[Today Window] Global Technology and Fast Follower Strategy - Money Today (mt.co.kr)
