Gender Equality minister calls for bias-free AI ecosystem

Minister of Gender Equality and Family Won Min-kyung said Tuesday that AI presents new challenges and opportunities for everyone, and called for sustained efforts to build a trustworthy digital ecosystem free of gender bias.

Won made the remarks in a congratulatory address at the 4th Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry Women's Business Committee meeting, held at The Plaza hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.

About 30 people attended, including Won, Women's Business Committee Chair Jeong Gi-ok and representatives of women-led companies. Participants discussed growth strategies and leadership for female entrepreneurs amid the AI transition.

In her opening remarks, Jeong said the committee — established to advocate for the rights and business environment of women entrepreneurs — was holding its fourth gathering. "I hope today's special lecture on corporate AI transformation and AI leadership will help us find practical ways to integrate AI into management," she said, adding that the committee would continue to pursue meaningful activities going forward.

SK Group Vice President Kim Ji-hyun delivered a lecture on corporate AI transformation and AI leadership, describing AI as "a collaborative partner that maximizes results through investment of time, rather than merely a tool that saves it." She said that even as agentic AI automates tasks, "defining goals, interpreting results and bearing ultimate responsibility remain irreplaceable domains of human judgment."

On the leadership qualities needed to drive AI transformation, Kim advised that leaders must set an example by actively using AI in their own work, encourage adoption among team members and manage change across the entire organization. She added that companies should develop their own fit-for-purpose tools and look beyond improving work processes to finding the right agentic solutions that address business-level problems.

The meeting also saw three new members appointed to the committee: Kim Min-young, chief executive of Bangat-gan Company; Seo So-young, chief executive of Concon; and Jeong Yeon-ja, chief executive of Hyundai Metal Industry.