Dr. Chang Dong-seon, a brain science doctor known through various TV broadcasts such as tvN's "The Dictionary of Useless Knowledge" Season 2 and "Somehow Adult," will be appointed as a full-time professor at Hanyang University's Center for Creative Convergence Education in March. Let's have a look at his lecture, which will be opened for the first time in 2023 Spring semester.

■ Core General Course: "Future Tech Literacy: Essentials"- Introducing must-know future technologies, incorporating Generative AI like ChatGPT into the class.

"The world is changing rapidly. Services such as ChatGPT have become services with hundreds of millions of active users every month as AI has already penetrated into everyday life, and virtual reality, augmented reality, and extended reality (VR/AR/XR) services, better known by the keyword metaverse, will change the way we use the Internet in a few years. The way we get knowledge and information itself is changing rapidly, and new technologies and tools, that we can't understand just by what we've been studying at school, are already being put into the front line of the enterprise."

Professor Chang plans to provide a core general course lecture "Future Tech Literacy: Essentials" for all students. The reason why he chose the theme of Future Technology Literacy as his first-semester lecture is that he wants to inform Hanyang University students in advance of technologies that will become more important in companies and startups in the future. According to Professor Chang, who conducted the job interview as head of Hyundai Motor Group's Future Technology Strategy Team, applicants who knew about major future technologies without missing changes in technology trends received higher scores.

"It's important to have basic skills during job interviews, but since we've been closely watching changes in the world for a long time, it's a big advantage to be able to articulate your own perspective on what key skills will drive the change. But surprisingly, there are many applicants who can't even figure out what future technologies are important. These days, there are so many things you need to know widely. If you miss them and stay in the ways you studied in the past and have a narrow perspective, you will lose competitiveness."

Professor Chang stressed that there are so many future technologies that we need to know. According to him, it is as important to know major technology trends in other fields as to decide your major field in a situation where the boundaries between industries are collapsing. For example, in the healthcare sector, digital healthcare technology is in the spotlight which allows users to understand the probability of someone developing dementia due to Alzheimer’s or depression through user data in mobile games. To develop such technology, basic knowledge of game programming and gamification may be required. Professor Chang says that data analysis on "how someone moves" in the mobility area is also linked to customers' insurance product composition and predictions in the travel and commerce areas. Data acquisition and analysis in each area are also integrated into common future technology keywords such as Digital Twin or Decentralized Identification (DID). Therefore, knowledge in various fields such as medicine, mobile, energy, blockchain, and cyber security is required as well as artificial intelligence (AI).

"I remember being caught off guard when I first entered the Ph.D. program in the field of brain science since I had to learn a program called Unity and take artificial intelligence pattern ananysis classes. I wanted to study human brain, but I didn't immediately understand why I had to learn motion capture technology, design, and create avatars. It was a cybernetics lab, so I even had to study how robotic arms work, and how to control a helicopter in three-dimensional space. But because we can't program people at will, we soon realized how important it is to create models digitally and run simulations in virtual reality in various situations. What I studied in my undergraduate years was basic knowledge in biology, medicine, psychology, and so on, but what really helped me a lot later was the practice of understanding and utilizing new future technologies that I learned at the Max Planck Institute. So, I want to make Hanang University students at least briefly know what future technologies they must know.”

He also plans to make sure that all students actively utilize generative AI such as ChatGPT in his class. He said he wants to break through many lecturers'concerns regarding what if students make the AI do their assignments. 

"When new technologies come out, we need to change our existing systems. I personally think it is not productive to limit and regulate the technology and think about what to do if the existing system collapses. I will encourage students to use as many new technologies as possible, find new ways to use them on their own, and discover what is lacking."

■ HY-LIVE Lectures for "Know your Brain: Introduction to your Mind"

Professor Chang will conduct another core general course lecture called "Know your Brain: Introduction to your Mind" through Hanyang University's patented hologram technology "HY-LIVE." He also plans to hold a journal club class for graduate students majoring in Brain Engineering.

"No one can predict the future perfectly. The best way to predict the future is to invent and create it yourself, said Alan Kay, a famous Silicon Valley futurist who also influenced Steve Jobs in great ways. I hope that all Hanyang University students can create the future they want on their own, and I want to be of help to this.”

Professor Chang said, "I'm happy to come to the university and know more students who will be the main leaders of future." His lectures can be applied during the class registration period of 2023 Spring semester.