2026 Google for KOREA with Google DeepMind | AI Vision Fireside Chat

### TL;DR Google DeepMind founder Demis Hassabis in Seoul reflects on the 10th anniversary of AlphaGo, AlphaFold's Nobel Prize, and offers advice to Korea's leaders and next generation on seizing the AI era. ### Back in Seoul: The 10th Anniversary of AlphaGo and the Dawn of the AI Era Ten years ago, the AlphaGo match against Lee Sedol in Seoul marked the beginning of the modern AI era. Hassabis described his return as "feels like yesterday, but in terms of progress, it feels like a hundred years." He repeatedly emphasized Korea's special place in his heart and praised the country's tradition of exploring forward-looking technologies. ### AlphaFold: From a 50-Year Problem to 200 Million Open-Source Proteins Hassabis noted that protein folding was a major unsolved challenge in biology for 50 years — understanding the 3D structure of proteins is crucial for drugs, diseases, and treatments. Previously, a PhD student needed an average of five years to fold a single protein, while AlphaFold folded all 200 million known proteins in one year and made them all open source. He called this "a first taste of the benefits AI can bring to science and medicine" and emphasized that the core mission of DeepMind (now Google DeepMind) has always been to advance scientific discovery. ### Korea and AI: Tackling an Aging Population and the Next Growth Phase Hassabis believes Korea has all the elements to become a world leader in AI: - **Manufacturing**: Strong in areas like chips and robotics; - **Research institutions**: Top universities such as Seoul National University and KAIST; - **Government support**: He has already spoken with the president, companies, and students and is excited about the potential for collaboration. He suggested that Korea use AI to address challenges like an aging population and unlock a new phase of growth. He specifically noted Korea's foundation in digital infrastructure and industrial capabilities, making it well-positioned to embrace AI technology early. ### Advice for Leaders: Integrate AI Tools and Free Up Creativity Hassabis recommends that business and project leaders: - Find the most efficient ways to work alongside new AI tools; - Use AI as an "agent" to handle administrative tasks, brainstorming, etc., freeing up time for higher-value creative work; - He emphasized that AI is improving rapidly every month, and leaders should proactively integrate these tools into their workflows. ### Educating the Next Generation: STEM Foundation + Active Experimentation with AI Tools Addressing parents' concerns about "how to prepare children for the AI era," Hassabis offered two suggestions: 1. **Stick with STEM subjects** (science, math, etc.), because understanding the principles enables better guidance of the tools; 2. **Actively try AI tools**, use them for personal projects, extracurricular activities, and discover new use cases. He recalled writing games as a teenager — his parents thought it was "a waste of time" at first, but it became his entry point into programming and AI. He believes smart kids will use core AI tools to create new businesses, products, and applications, even achieving "superpower"-like accomplishments. ### Looking Ahead 50-100 Years: AI as a Human Multiplier In interviews, Hassabis has said "the human mind is the only general intelligence in nature," and AI will become a force multiplier. He believes that in the next decade, AI will help scientists achieve incredible breakthroughs in disease, the environment, and energy (e.g., nuclear fusion, new materials, batteries). He envisions AI ushering in a golden age — a "new Renaissance" — and notes that AlphaFold is just the first major example of AI benefiting all of humanity. ### Human Intuition and AI: Lessons from Move 37 and Move 78 Hassabis specifically recalled AlphaGo's Move 37 in the match against Lee Sedol — which demonstrated AI's creativity — and Lee Sedol's Move 78, the only move that ever beat AlphaGo. He hopes this kind of technology will inspire humans to "think about bigger questions." --- **Source**: 2026 Google for KOREA with Google DeepMind | AI Vision Fireside Chat (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XgZyIiiNtDU)