South Korean President Lee Jae Myung Meets Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis to Discuss AI Cooperation

SEOUL, April 27 (Yonhap) -- President Lee Jae Myung on Monday met with Demis Hassabis, co-founder and CEO of Google DeepMind, to discuss cooperation on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and global partnerships.

Lee highlighted the government's strong interest in AI and plans to ramp up investment during the meeting, as Hassabis was in South Korea for talks on expanding collaboration, including on a government-led initiative to advance AI-driven science and technology.

"They shared the view that, if used effectively, AI could become a powerful tool to address major global challenges, such as low growth, the climate crisis and health care issues, opening the door for new prosperity, while also carrying risks of being abused in warfare or deepening inequality," Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, said in a briefing.

Lee stressed the need to prepare for changes in the job market driven by AI adoption, while Hassabis agreed on the need for a new economic model that redefines work and addresses the redistribution of wealth, Kim said.

The president also introduced plans to establish a "global AI hub" to lead cooperative projects with governments, international organizations and companies to ensure that benefits of AI development are widely shared, and asked DeepMind to serve as a key partner in the initiative, according to the aide.

Hassabis said AI should be actively applied to areas that advance science, technology and human well-being, while emphasizing the importance of ensuring systems adhere to human-defined safeguards.

"I think it will be very beneficial for the world if it's used in the right way," he said, adding that a key challenge is ensuring AI systems remain within appropriate "guardrails."

DeepMind is widely known for developing AlphaGo, which defeated Lee Sedol in a historic five-game human-versus-machine match in Seoul in 2016, marking a major milestone in artificial intelligence. Hassabis was also awarded the 2024 Nobel Prize in Chemistry for his contributions to AI-based protein structure prediction research.

During the meeting, Hassabis presented Lee with a Go board signed by himself and Lee Sedol, Kim said.

Earlier in the day, the Ministry of Science and ICT signed a memorandum of understanding with Google DeepMind to strengthen cooperation in AI-led innovation under its "K-Moonshot" initiative, covering joint research in science and technology, talent development and the responsible use of AI.

As part of the initiative, Google plans to open its first AI campus in South Korea within this year to expand collaboration with Korean researchers and startups, Kim added.