Choi Jae-boong, a Sungkyunkwan University mechanical engineering professor, says humans are evolving into AI sapiens and that education will shape the future of the AI era. He will deliver a keynote at the 2026 Korea Times Global Conference on Sept. 15 in Seoul. Choi said AI-driven capital is already reshaping industry, while legacy business models and jobs face pressure. He argued that adaptive learning, not memorization, is the key to preparing the next generation.
Choi Jae-boong, professor of mechanical engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, speaks during an interview with The Korea Times at the university's Seoul campus, Sept. 1. Korea Times photo by Shim Hyun-chul
Choi Jae-boong, professor of mechanical engineering at Sungkyunkwan University, says humans are evolving into “AI sapiens,” a new type of being that uses artificial intelligence (AI) as a natural extension of the mind, and education will determine how bright a future humanity can build in this new era.
Choi wrote the 2019 book “Phono Sapiens,” which popularized in Korea the idea that smartphones had become indispensable to modern life. He expanded the concept to AI in his 2024 book “AI Sapiens,” which explores how humans using AI could reshape industrial structures and usher in a new civilization.
