[Unofficial Translation]

Distinguished intellectuals and future leaders of the digital era,

It is a great pleasure to meet with you all at Sorbonne University, an institution acclaimed as a pioneer in the pursuit of knowledge, in Paris, a city which continues to evolve based on the legacy of the French Revolution. I am also delighted to talk about the future of the digital world and its impact on humanity.

The French Revolution in 1789 brought about a complete transformation of the world’s order and norms under its motto of liberty, equality, and fraternity. The legal systems of most countries and the international order as we know it today stem from the spirit of the French Revolution.

We are now forging ahead with another transformation -- the digital transformation.

Just as the French Revolution provided momentum for a new world order to replace that of the age of discovery, we face the need to establish a new digital order, which I emphasized in the New York Initiative that I announced at the UN General Assembly and New York University in September last year. Digital technologies have connected 5 billion people across the globe and generate data equivalent to 11 billion feature films each day.

Digital technologies including data and Artificial Intelligence(AI) are playing an instrumental role in the discovery of breakthroughs for many yet unsolved problems.

AI language models, such as ChatGPT, Bard, and LLaMA, have succeeded in drawing closer to the realm of human authenticity and creativity through their evolving systems.

While AI-human collaboration is showcasing phenomenal outcomes in terms of both technological innovation and artistic creation, the legal rights and duties over the source of such creativity have yet to be defined.

The still ambiguous rights and duties are adding to confusion and often entail the serious social risk of a failure to control related processes and results.

Human civilizations have continued to achieve progress on the back of technological advancement.

However, while we were blinded by the advantages of technological advancement, they brought about a series of existential crises as well, from intensifying climate change and polarization to loss of humanity, proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, and disruption of democracy. We cannot afford to ignore them. As many as 40 AI-related laws and regulations have been approved and passed around the world, and several countries, including Korea, are preparing to announce the enactment of a digital bill of rights.

Digital technologies transcend physical boundaries and are characterized by connectivity and immediacy. As such, it is crucial that we work to build a shared digital order now. I would like to throw light on the importance of rules pertaining to digital ethics that should form the basis of a digital order.

We must remain vigilant to prevent digital technologies from restricting freedom and focus on preserving universal values.

All digital technologies must be developed and utilized with respect for freedom and dignity while contributing to enhancing the overall well-being of humanity.

The rights and duties concerning digital assets must be clearly defined in terms of development and compensation, and transactions of data and output based on free contracts must be guaranteed.

Opportunities for the development and utilization of digital technologies must be accessible for all. To this end, training to improve digital literacy is fundamental. Measures to resolve the digital skills gap must be sought at the global community level.

Fair access and equal opportunities regarding digital data and information must be ensured as they are public goods.

The value of the development of digital data and information must be assessed in a fair manner, and an impartial compensation system for investments and efforts must be put in place.

In order to prevent digital technologies from jeopardizing the overall well-being of the global community, pertinent information must be shared and announced promptly, and regulatory systems to ensure the implementation of appropriate actions must be created and maintained.

Violations of such regulations must also be strictly sanctioned.

Most importantly, the entire global community must closely work together to ensure the application of digital rules and regulations. In this context, I propose the creation of an international organization for establishing rules pertaining to digital ethics and ensuring the incorporation of the principles I mentioned in our activities related to the digital economy.

Discussions on how to establish this international organization should be encouraged on a continued basis. I believe it would be desirable for the UN to take the leadership role and draw the global community’s consensus on this matter.

Intellectuals and future leaders,

A bright future cannot be taken for granted. It requires all of us to join hands and exert our best efforts to deliver upon our promises.

The creation of an international organization for establishing rules for digital ethics is a pressing task that can no longer be postponed as we advance towards a better tomorrow.

I ask for your unsparing enthusiasm and support to bring that future to reality.

Thank you.