NCCN (COR): Prof. bon sohn’s Speech at the Assembly 2017 in Goolwa (AUS)

The Fourth Industrial Revolution: For Whom the Bell Tolls
The Beautiful Sustainability through AI and CI

Prof. Dehyun Sohn
Hanyang University Emeritus / Vice President of the Cittaslow International
Cittaslow Goolwa Australia, 4050, 2017 05 13

The fourth industrial revolution is rapidly emerging like tsunami. The world is trying to cope up with the revolution through the convergence of the information and communications technology (ICT) and a variety of industries to overcome the low growth. Especially, artificial intelligence (AI) technologies can be applied to the quality management based on big data, hyper-connected society by using Internet of Things (IoT), drones, self-driving care, and augmented reality (AR). Digitalization results in increase in individualization of a society and the gap between the rich and the poor, and decrease in jobs for humans. It depends on the way to think whether we become a slave to the machine or we make the best use of the revolution. The most distinctive change in the revolution is that everything gets faster to raise capital. In the modern society the speed of things has continued to accelerate, and it is still going on. A universal key to success in the modern civilization is the speed. Americans completed the myth of capitalism in the name that time is money, but people in Bhutan believe time is life. Chinese people used to behave more slowly (so-called “Manmandi”) than Koreans, but recently they shout “Fast, Fast!” Some Korea’s men in twenties and thirties are taking Viagra because they have more than enough stressful work to do.

The fourth industrial revolution leads to new developments and evolutions. First, it helps the sharing economy. Car-sharing will exceed driving alone by 67 percent in 2025. Second, it enhances the on-demand economy like Uber and Airbnb or increase in crop yields. Agricultural is very important to our life. The Netherlands’ national image equals nature + agriculture + food + health + happiness. Agriculture of Cittaslow is a slow industry, a traditional industry, and life industry. As Cittaslow favors small farmers, not agribusiness, we need just the intermediate technology necessary for farming, not high technology.

Digitalization requires even more human feeling. Make your mind flexible to survive in an extremely competitive and stressful society. Control your minds and others, and improve the ability to relate to others. Education and training is needed to build emotional intelligence (EI). It is dangerous to be obsessed with technology to cope up with artificial intelligence. Businesses should encourage their employee’s spontaneity and creativity for success. Now we face many global problems like global warming, environmental issues, and security and peace, so we need to seek interdependence and cooperation with neighboring countries based on emotional intelligence, mental balance, and a human network. 

Slowly but surely! Slowly but gently! It is our way to support the Cittaslow movement. For whom the bell tolls? For whom the movement goes? It should be human-centered, and we need to develop Cittaslow Intelligence (CI) as a more effective remedy for ancient future along with EI. In fact the Cittaslow movement starts from a slow mind. Being slow is the speed of mind, not one of body. The fear from AI is not a dilemma of humans versus machines. It is time for a positive and comprehensive discourse and to pool our wisdom to meet higher expectations and induce stronger cooperation with smarter machines. An economic innovation is important, but we should encourage a social innovation like the shortened hours of labor and the governance of local and central governments. It is for another cultural renaissance. We should encourage the coexistence and cooperation of AI and CI to seek happiness and value of sustainable future through economic prosperity, interaction (tourism), humankind's longevity, and peace.