[Op-Ed] From CERN to AI: Why Research Networks Matter

Kee-Eung Kim, Director of the National AI Research Lab (NAIRL), published an expert op-ed in The Seoul Economic Daily, highlighting the long-term value of international research networks in the age of artificial intelligence. Drawing on the example of CERN, which was founded during the Cold War and later became the birthplace of the World Wide Web, the op-ed reflects on how basic research collaboration can generate unexpected outcomes that strengthen national and societal capabilities over time.

Director Kim noted that AI cooperation is more complex than traditional basic science collaboration, as data, computing resources, and power infrastructure are increasingly tied to national interests, regulation, and commercial value. Yet this is precisely why research networks matter. Researchers can cross borders, ideas can be shared, and foundational knowledge can be built collectively without becoming the exclusive asset of any one country.

In this context, NAIRL is working to build a research foundation that connects Korea’s AI community with global partners. Supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT (MSIT) through the Institute of Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), NAIRL brings together leading AI researchers in Korea while expanding collaboration with institutions such as RIKEN AIP in Japan and IVADO in Canada. The op-ed presents a vision in which Korea can help shape the research networks where future AI ideas, capabilities, and global agendas emerge.

Check out more details in the article below.
https://www.sedaily.com/article/20044943