[Edaily Starin KIM HYUNSIK Reporter] "I thought artificial intelligence (AI) would have an impact not only on the world of Go but on society as a whole, but I never expected it to happen this quickly."

Lee Sedol, a former professional Go player, made these remarks on the 22nd at the production press conference for “Unemployed Lee Sedol,” held at the KBS 2TV Annex Public Hall in Yeouido, Seoul.

In 2016, Lee Sedol participated as humanity’s representative in the “Google DeepMind Challenge Match,” playing a total of five games against the AI Go program AlphaGo and securing one victory.

“Unemployed Lee Sedol” is a program conceived to commemorate the 10th anniversary of the matches between Lee Sedol and AlphaGo. It depicts Lee Sedol—who left the Go world after his legendary victory over AlphaGo—as he takes on the challenge of “finding a second career.”

Lee Sedol said, “I am amazed by the speed at which AI technology is advancing,” adding, “Since we were ill-prepared to respond to the AI era when the changes hit, it seems many people are living in fear, wondering, ‘What if what I’ve studied becomes useless?’”

He continued, “There are a few things AI cannot do. The most notable of these are empathy and building relationships,” and advised, “If we recognize that and move forward, the AI era won’t seem so daunting.”

Through this program, Lee Sedol experienced a variety of jobs, including cleaning windows on high-rise buildings, selling beer at a baseball stadium, and doing plastering work at a construction site.

Lee Sedol said, “Since my retirement, I haven’t been able to establish anything concrete to replace Go. I’m still in the process of searching,” adding, “That’s why I was so happy and grateful for this offer.” He also noted, “Filming this program has deepened my respect for manual labor.”

“Unemployed Lee Sedol” is produced by Director Lee Myung-seop, known for shows like “Hong Kim Dongjeon” and “Method Club,” and writer Yoo Ji-hye of the “Around the World Since I Was Born” (“Taegye Ilju”) series. Jung Jae-hyung and Jang Do-yeon will serve as hosts. The program is planned as a five-episode series and will premiere on the 23rd at 8:30 p.m.