"In the age of AI, there are other companies that survive"...The answer to innovation is people

As artificial intelligence (AI) quickly changes industries and the way people work, experts have argued that people and organizations must learn to adapt, just as much as they need to adopt new technology. Entrepreneurship means learning from failure, being open to new ways of doing things, and turning new ideas into real business and social value. These abilities will help determine who succeeds in the future.

At the global entrepreneurship session of the "2026 Jinju K-Entrepreneurship International Forum," held in Jinju, Gyeongsangnam-do, on the 20th, Erko Autio, a professor at Imperial College London, described innovation in the AI era as "creative destruction." He stressed that people's ability to learn and a company's culture are important. His main point was that the ability to create new value in response to change matters more than technological change alone.

Professor Autio explained that, according to the ideas of economist Joseph Schumpeter, innovation happens when new technologies replace older products and ways of doing business. "AI is changing not only factories and physical work, but also how we work with knowledge and ideas," he said. "As technology and customer needs change faster, it becomes harder to predict the future accurately. But the more we do, the more we learn, adapt, and create new things."

He called this ability 'adaptive human capital'. Professor Autio stressed, "Resilience is not just the ability to return to how things were before. It is the ability to learn from experience and move in a better direction." Even when a business changes its plans because of shifts in markets and technology, it should continue creating value for customers and society.

He also said that companies need a different workplace culture and style of leadership. Employees should feel able to point out problems early, ask questions, and try new ideas. "Allowing failure does not mean lowering responsibility or standards. It means giving people a chance to find and fix problems early," Professor Autio said. He added, "People should learn to use AI not just through lectures or theory, but by applying it to real work and checking its quality and safety."

Koji Yoshimoto, a professor at Soka University in Japan, suggested that Jinju's spirit of entrepreneurship should spread beyond Korea to Japan and Southeast Asia. Many companies focus on short-term profits for shareholders, but businesses could instead put greater value on long-term success and social responsibility. Jinju's approach, which puts people and the local community at the center of growth, could offer global companies a new way forward.

Professor Yoshimoto pointed out that major companies such as Samsung, LG, GS, and Hyosung have roots in Jinju. He said the region combines traditional ethical values with modern entrepreneurship. Yoshimoto explained, "Japan's Shibusawa Eiichi promoted the idea that morality and the economy belong together, while Omi merchants followed the principle of 'three-way good.' Both ideas match Jinju's spirit because they seek to combine morality, profit, and social value." He suggested practical steps such as exchanges between Korean and Japanese businesspeople, hands-on training for future managers, joint environmental, social and governance (ESG) projects involving companies from both countries and Southeast Asia, and documentaries.

Lee Dae-woo, a professor at Columbus State University in the United States, stressed that hands-on learning and overseas training can help students develop an entrepreneurial mindset. Professor Lee said, "Students can enter unfamiliar cultures and environments directly, gain new experiences, and build confidence, good judgment, and the ability to adapt as they deal with unexpected situations."

He gave an example of students from Columbus State University visiting Jinju to learn about Seungseong Village and lantern-related exhibition facilities and meet students from Gyeongsang National University. "Meeting local people and experiencing a culture outside a familiar environment is different from simply traveling abroad," the school said. "Universities and local communities should work together to give students opportunities to learn through real experience." He stressed that exchanges between Jinju and Columbus in the United States should not be one-time events, but should develop into lasting relationships with the local community.

Arham bin Abdullah, president of Kelantan University in Malaysia, and Ahn Seung-kwon, president of Yeonam University of Technology, also gave presentations on global entrepreneurship at the session.

The forum brought universities, businesses, and local communities together to discuss how they could work together to find opportunities and create new value, even when the future is uncertain.