The future came first
 |
Description
Book Introduction
- A word from MD
-
The future of humanity as seen by Jang Gang-myeongYou might ask, "Is this another AI book?"
But you must read 『The Future That Came First』.
Because Jang Gang-myeong wrote it.
After Lee Sedol lost to AlphaGo, the Go world was analyzed. Some players benefited from AI.
In general, we were either overwhelmed by AI or forced to accompany it.
Which path will you choose?
July 8, 2025. Humanities PD Son Min-gyu
“I think the future has come first to the world of Baduk.
What has happened in the world of Baduk over the past few years since 2016
“This will happen in many industries in the future.”
Mirae, who came to the world of Go first after the Lee Sedol-AlphaGo match
How AI Threatens Our Work, Experiences, and Values
★★★ “This book shows that a single defeat is not just a consequence, but can become a new way of looking at the world.” _Recommended by Jaeseung Jeong (Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, KAIST)
★★★ Cho Hun-hyun, Yoo Chang-hyuk, Park Jeong-sang, Kim Ji-seok, Shin Jin-seo… Hear directly from the legends of Baduk about the post-AI world.
This is a reportage by journalist and writer Jang Kang-myeong, who has explored the impact of science and technology on life and society across fiction and non-fiction, meeting with 30 current and former professional Go players and 6 Go experts to look back on the "future that came first" in the world of Go after AlphaGo and to predict the changes that artificial intelligence will bring to various industries, including the literary world.
Even without the Terminator and without jobs disappearing, Jang Gang-myeong warns that AI could undermine the authority and pride of professionals, distort work and experience, and threaten the values we strive for.
After AlphaGo, professional Go players were forced to erase the theories they had known their entire lives and learn Go again from artificial intelligence.
It wasn't simply a matter of accepting new knowledge.
For them, Baduk was both an art and a philosophy, and life as a professional player meant the pride of being the highest authority in Baduk.
Three years after his match with AlphaGo, Lee Sedol, 9th Dan, announced his retirement from the world of Go, explaining his reasons as follows:
“As a child, I learned that Baduk was like an art.
(…) the art I had learned had collapsed.”
The way we study Baduk, the culture of watching Baduk, and the values we pursue through Baduk have all changed.
Jang Gang-myeong predicts that similar things will happen in other industries.
Artificial intelligence with overwhelming power is being distributed at a low price.
Forced to coexist with artificial intelligence and follow the new order created by artificial intelligence.
For example, how would the lives of novelists change if a novel-writing AI were to produce 288 great novels every day? Drawing on the experiences of the world of Go, this book offers a chilling glimpse into the near future we all face.
“Even if we stop the Terminator and save jobs, some human values will inevitably be destroyed in the process.
(…) and we are likely to belatedly realize the true nature of those values only after such destruction has occurred.” _Page 26
What has happened in the world of Baduk over the past few years since 2016
“This will happen in many industries in the future.”
Mirae, who came to the world of Go first after the Lee Sedol-AlphaGo match
How AI Threatens Our Work, Experiences, and Values
★★★ “This book shows that a single defeat is not just a consequence, but can become a new way of looking at the world.” _Recommended by Jaeseung Jeong (Professor, Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, KAIST)
★★★ Cho Hun-hyun, Yoo Chang-hyuk, Park Jeong-sang, Kim Ji-seok, Shin Jin-seo… Hear directly from the legends of Baduk about the post-AI world.
This is a reportage by journalist and writer Jang Kang-myeong, who has explored the impact of science and technology on life and society across fiction and non-fiction, meeting with 30 current and former professional Go players and 6 Go experts to look back on the "future that came first" in the world of Go after AlphaGo and to predict the changes that artificial intelligence will bring to various industries, including the literary world.
Even without the Terminator and without jobs disappearing, Jang Gang-myeong warns that AI could undermine the authority and pride of professionals, distort work and experience, and threaten the values we strive for.
After AlphaGo, professional Go players were forced to erase the theories they had known their entire lives and learn Go again from artificial intelligence.
It wasn't simply a matter of accepting new knowledge.
For them, Baduk was both an art and a philosophy, and life as a professional player meant the pride of being the highest authority in Baduk.
Three years after his match with AlphaGo, Lee Sedol, 9th Dan, announced his retirement from the world of Go, explaining his reasons as follows:
“As a child, I learned that Baduk was like an art.
(…) the art I had learned had collapsed.”
The way we study Baduk, the culture of watching Baduk, and the values we pursue through Baduk have all changed.
Jang Gang-myeong predicts that similar things will happen in other industries.
Artificial intelligence with overwhelming power is being distributed at a low price.
Forced to coexist with artificial intelligence and follow the new order created by artificial intelligence.
For example, how would the lives of novelists change if a novel-writing AI were to produce 288 great novels every day? Drawing on the experiences of the world of Go, this book offers a chilling glimpse into the near future we all face.
“Even if we stop the Terminator and save jobs, some human values will inevitably be destroyed in the process.
(…) and we are likely to belatedly realize the true nature of those values only after such destruction has occurred.” _Page 26
- You can preview some of the book's contents.
Preview
index
1.
The future came first
2.
Pride, Prejudice, and Creativity
3.
burning issue
4.
Flatness and fairness
5.
Beyond the tool called language
6.
Immutable Laws and Mutable Concepts
7.
New Jobs, or 'Death Houses'
8.
Human, all too human
9.
Value-driven technology
10.
Things AI can't do yet
Author's Note
main
The future came first
2.
Pride, Prejudice, and Creativity
3.
burning issue
4.
Flatness and fairness
5.
Beyond the tool called language
6.
Immutable Laws and Mutable Concepts
7.
New Jobs, or 'Death Houses'
8.
Human, all too human
9.
Value-driven technology
10.
Things AI can't do yet
Author's Note
main
Detailed image
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Into the book
On the morning of March 10, 2016, I received a call from a newspaper reporter.
It was the day after South Korea's 9th-dan professional Go player Lee Sedol lost to AlphaGo, an AI program developed by Google DeepMind.
--- p.11
I interviewed 30 current and former professional Go players and 6 Go experts.
We heard about the shocks they experienced, how they coped with the confusion, how they adapted, and how they evaluated that adaptation.
And I imagined what would happen to novelists if novel-writing AI became widespread.
--- p.25
There is no basis for saying that creativity, literary talent, or whatever else is required to write a novel is something that only humans can possess.
That is the lesson that AlphaGo teaches us.
--- p.47
There is a big difference between Shin Jin-seo 9-dan and his senior players such as Cho Hun-hyun, Lee Chang-ho, and Lee Se-dol.
The fact that we chose artificial intelligence, not humans, as our teacher.
--- p.69
Whether writers, editors, or publishers, the agile players in the literary world will leverage AI and gain an edge over their competitors.
By then, there will be no room for idle concerns like, "What impact will artificial intelligence have on the literary world?"
--- p.79
Professionals and aspiring professionals in an industry may agree that they will reject AI until it is adopted.
But when artificial intelligence is actually introduced, there will be groups that benefit from it.
Members of that group will likely view the changes brought about by AI as positive and desirable.
--- p.102~103
That is, we don't have much time.
A useful and powerful technology like artificial intelligence is like a beast.
Once they run out into the street, it is very difficult to catch them and confine them.
(…) In fact, we can only control the beast before it comes out onto the streets.
--- p.107
Artificial intelligence will bring about a much bigger change than smartphones or social media.
(…) So now it will be ‘something’ that we don’t even know what to call it.
That something might actually be the environment in which we have to live.
--- p.113
The 'AI-powered sound production system' can fully embody human emotion and perfection.
Because there are humans in that system.
Because humans can supplement what artificial intelligence lacks.
--- p.138
I see people saying things like, 'AI is just a tool, and it's up to each person to decide whether to use it or not, and whether they use it or not, they should maintain the values they pursue.'
Their naive outlook was wrong.
Even if I don't use AI, the values I pursue change and are reversed because of other people who use AI.
--- p.187
When we say "new jobs will continue to be created," what exactly do we mean by jobs? Are they a source of social value and pride, or are they simply a reason to have a steady stream of money deposited into my account?
--- p.202
What would become of art if it didn't pursue excellence as its primary goal? What would become of classical music if a prestigious classical music label praised an amateur orchestra of working musicians with storied backgrounds as more moving than the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra?
--- p.251
Those in the Go world see a simple reason why Google retired AlphaGo and chose protein structure prediction as its next task.
Because there is no money in baduk.
--- p.279
Kurzweil, Musk, and even Google and Apple argue that if we had better technology, we would live better lives.
But that's not the case.
The technological solutions these 'technological thinkers' propose are similar to saying that loneliness can be eliminated through advancements in communication technology.
--- p.298~299
The fact that near-future technologies are undermining the precious values of our lives and society strikes me as a contemporary problem.
I thought that I could use the methodology of science fiction to show the existence of those values that are as precious as air but are not easily visible to the eye.
--- p.327
In other words, in the pharmaceutical and construction industries, a certain degree of public management system is in place, even though it works against the interests of the companies, and many people take this for granted.
Isn't this "normal"? Shouldn't we be doing this to the internet sites that millions of young people use for hours every day?
--- p.333
Could someone come up with a brilliant idea about the source of value and how to control technology? I await the arrival of a modern thinker.
It was the day after South Korea's 9th-dan professional Go player Lee Sedol lost to AlphaGo, an AI program developed by Google DeepMind.
--- p.11
I interviewed 30 current and former professional Go players and 6 Go experts.
We heard about the shocks they experienced, how they coped with the confusion, how they adapted, and how they evaluated that adaptation.
And I imagined what would happen to novelists if novel-writing AI became widespread.
--- p.25
There is no basis for saying that creativity, literary talent, or whatever else is required to write a novel is something that only humans can possess.
That is the lesson that AlphaGo teaches us.
--- p.47
There is a big difference between Shin Jin-seo 9-dan and his senior players such as Cho Hun-hyun, Lee Chang-ho, and Lee Se-dol.
The fact that we chose artificial intelligence, not humans, as our teacher.
--- p.69
Whether writers, editors, or publishers, the agile players in the literary world will leverage AI and gain an edge over their competitors.
By then, there will be no room for idle concerns like, "What impact will artificial intelligence have on the literary world?"
--- p.79
Professionals and aspiring professionals in an industry may agree that they will reject AI until it is adopted.
But when artificial intelligence is actually introduced, there will be groups that benefit from it.
Members of that group will likely view the changes brought about by AI as positive and desirable.
--- p.102~103
That is, we don't have much time.
A useful and powerful technology like artificial intelligence is like a beast.
Once they run out into the street, it is very difficult to catch them and confine them.
(…) In fact, we can only control the beast before it comes out onto the streets.
--- p.107
Artificial intelligence will bring about a much bigger change than smartphones or social media.
(…) So now it will be ‘something’ that we don’t even know what to call it.
That something might actually be the environment in which we have to live.
--- p.113
The 'AI-powered sound production system' can fully embody human emotion and perfection.
Because there are humans in that system.
Because humans can supplement what artificial intelligence lacks.
--- p.138
I see people saying things like, 'AI is just a tool, and it's up to each person to decide whether to use it or not, and whether they use it or not, they should maintain the values they pursue.'
Their naive outlook was wrong.
Even if I don't use AI, the values I pursue change and are reversed because of other people who use AI.
--- p.187
When we say "new jobs will continue to be created," what exactly do we mean by jobs? Are they a source of social value and pride, or are they simply a reason to have a steady stream of money deposited into my account?
--- p.202
What would become of art if it didn't pursue excellence as its primary goal? What would become of classical music if a prestigious classical music label praised an amateur orchestra of working musicians with storied backgrounds as more moving than the Berlin Philharmonic Orchestra?
--- p.251
Those in the Go world see a simple reason why Google retired AlphaGo and chose protein structure prediction as its next task.
Because there is no money in baduk.
--- p.279
Kurzweil, Musk, and even Google and Apple argue that if we had better technology, we would live better lives.
But that's not the case.
The technological solutions these 'technological thinkers' propose are similar to saying that loneliness can be eliminated through advancements in communication technology.
--- p.298~299
The fact that near-future technologies are undermining the precious values of our lives and society strikes me as a contemporary problem.
I thought that I could use the methodology of science fiction to show the existence of those values that are as precious as air but are not easily visible to the eye.
--- p.327
In other words, in the pharmaceutical and construction industries, a certain degree of public management system is in place, even though it works against the interests of the companies, and many people take this for granted.
Isn't this "normal"? Shouldn't we be doing this to the internet sites that millions of young people use for hours every day?
--- p.333
Could someone come up with a brilliant idea about the source of value and how to control technology? I await the arrival of a modern thinker.
--- p.338~339
Publisher's Review
“If AI can play creative Go,
Someday, machines will be able to creatively solve difficult mathematical problems.
Does this mean that you can also create creative works of art?”
Rethinking the Meaning of Creativity, Literature, and Humanity
What Will "Human Literature" Become in the Age of AI?
The match between Lee Sedol 9-dan and AlphaGo was shocking not only in its result but also in its content.
In the Go world, it was assumed that 'AlphaGo is a computer, so it will be strong in the later stages when calculation power is important.'
However, AlphaGo showed a stronger side in the early stages, which were considered to be areas of creativity.
Nowadays, many professional Go players evaluate AlphaGo's play as creative.
But isn't creativity a human trait? If AI possesses creativity, does that mean it can also produce thousands of creative works of literature every day? Jang Gang-myeong, while positing that literature is different from Go, argues that in reality, very few things are impossible.
That is the lesson that AlphaGo left behind.
Even after AlphaGo, there are professional Go players who said, "I will play Go at a level that humans cannot play."
When you ask them what exactly human Go is, the answers they give are unrelated to excellence, such as mistakes and errors, facial expressions and gestures that reveal emotions, and stories surrounding the game.
When novel-writing AI churns out hundreds of masterpieces every day, "human literature" might take on a similar meaning.
Even if your writing skills are lacking, a writer with a unique 'life story' will receive more attention.
Because sentence structure can be improved by artificial intelligence.
Jang Gang-myeong predicts that artificial intelligence will change the values pursued in various industries.
Once artificial intelligence begins to spread across an industry, it is nearly impossible to stop it.
Because a group that benefits will emerge.
In fact, there are some professional players who welcome the introduction of artificial intelligence.
They were able to narrow the skill gap that arose from their late entry into the game of Go, their lack of initial intuition, and the information gap with top-level players.
Conversely, it also means that someone lost one of their organs one day.
Here, Jang Gang-myeong expands the discussion in a different direction. Should big tech companies possessing AI technology be allowed to dictate the landscape of certain industries and the lives of those within them? Is developing such technology truly the right thing to do?
“In the age of AI, artists may need to learn how to craft a story through the process of creating their work, and how to cleverly commercialize and sell themselves.
“You can also get tips on buying and authenticating a sports car, or snipe other celebrities.” _Page 268
“I want values to drive technology.
Valuable skills only emerge in that context.
“Now we are experiencing the exact opposite phenomenon.”
The lie that AI is just a tool
If value control in science and technology is to be possible…
Some experts argue that 'AI is just a tool, and it is up to each individual to decide whether to use it or not.'
Jang Gang-myeong asserts that their naive outlook is wrong.
Some technologies even influence people's perception and behavior.
For modern people, smartphone use is no longer a matter of personal choice.
The same goes for taxi drivers following navigation system recommendations and pop musicians distributing their music on streaming services.
Social media has changed the way we experience things and the standards by which we evaluate their value.
Artificial intelligence may become something more than that, it may become the environment in which we live.
Meanwhile, the optimistic view that "new jobs will continue to be created even in the AI era" suggests that these jobs are sources of social value and pride, or merely a reason to receive a paycheck. The book tenaciously delves into this question.
Even after AlphaGo, professional players' jobs did not disappear.
But their authority and pride have fallen.
A professional player whose skills have improved rapidly is suspected of 'AI cheating'.
What Baduk fans expect from a commentator is not his opinion, but his role in conveying 'AI recommendations' in an easily understandable manner.
In the face of the great cause of progress, is expert pride a trivial value? Would it be acceptable to be relegated to the role of AI assistants, as long as they receive a salary?
Jang Gang-myeong argues for technological and institutional control over artificial intelligence, citing the clinical trials that pharmaceutical companies must undergo during the new drug development process as an example.
The criticism is that compared to the speed of technological development and the impact it will have on our lives and society, there are insufficient mechanisms to control it.
We also call for responses that transcend national borders, such as nuclear weapons and nuclear energy control through the International Atomic Energy Agency and responses to the climate crisis through international treaties.
Jang Gang-myeong goes further, emphasizing the role of the humanities in believing in and imagining a better future, beyond the radical and flat definition of the "good life" advocated by big tech companies.
That kind of imagination is something that only humans can do, something that artificial intelligence cannot yet do.
"Wouldn't someone come up with a brilliant idea about the source of value and how to control technology? I await a modern thinker.
“I wish smart people would tackle this problem instead of flocking to Silicon Valley.” _Pages 338-339
Someday, machines will be able to creatively solve difficult mathematical problems.
Does this mean that you can also create creative works of art?”
Rethinking the Meaning of Creativity, Literature, and Humanity
What Will "Human Literature" Become in the Age of AI?
The match between Lee Sedol 9-dan and AlphaGo was shocking not only in its result but also in its content.
In the Go world, it was assumed that 'AlphaGo is a computer, so it will be strong in the later stages when calculation power is important.'
However, AlphaGo showed a stronger side in the early stages, which were considered to be areas of creativity.
Nowadays, many professional Go players evaluate AlphaGo's play as creative.
But isn't creativity a human trait? If AI possesses creativity, does that mean it can also produce thousands of creative works of literature every day? Jang Gang-myeong, while positing that literature is different from Go, argues that in reality, very few things are impossible.
That is the lesson that AlphaGo left behind.
Even after AlphaGo, there are professional Go players who said, "I will play Go at a level that humans cannot play."
When you ask them what exactly human Go is, the answers they give are unrelated to excellence, such as mistakes and errors, facial expressions and gestures that reveal emotions, and stories surrounding the game.
When novel-writing AI churns out hundreds of masterpieces every day, "human literature" might take on a similar meaning.
Even if your writing skills are lacking, a writer with a unique 'life story' will receive more attention.
Because sentence structure can be improved by artificial intelligence.
Jang Gang-myeong predicts that artificial intelligence will change the values pursued in various industries.
Once artificial intelligence begins to spread across an industry, it is nearly impossible to stop it.
Because a group that benefits will emerge.
In fact, there are some professional players who welcome the introduction of artificial intelligence.
They were able to narrow the skill gap that arose from their late entry into the game of Go, their lack of initial intuition, and the information gap with top-level players.
Conversely, it also means that someone lost one of their organs one day.
Here, Jang Gang-myeong expands the discussion in a different direction. Should big tech companies possessing AI technology be allowed to dictate the landscape of certain industries and the lives of those within them? Is developing such technology truly the right thing to do?
“In the age of AI, artists may need to learn how to craft a story through the process of creating their work, and how to cleverly commercialize and sell themselves.
“You can also get tips on buying and authenticating a sports car, or snipe other celebrities.” _Page 268
“I want values to drive technology.
Valuable skills only emerge in that context.
“Now we are experiencing the exact opposite phenomenon.”
The lie that AI is just a tool
If value control in science and technology is to be possible…
Some experts argue that 'AI is just a tool, and it is up to each individual to decide whether to use it or not.'
Jang Gang-myeong asserts that their naive outlook is wrong.
Some technologies even influence people's perception and behavior.
For modern people, smartphone use is no longer a matter of personal choice.
The same goes for taxi drivers following navigation system recommendations and pop musicians distributing their music on streaming services.
Social media has changed the way we experience things and the standards by which we evaluate their value.
Artificial intelligence may become something more than that, it may become the environment in which we live.
Meanwhile, the optimistic view that "new jobs will continue to be created even in the AI era" suggests that these jobs are sources of social value and pride, or merely a reason to receive a paycheck. The book tenaciously delves into this question.
Even after AlphaGo, professional players' jobs did not disappear.
But their authority and pride have fallen.
A professional player whose skills have improved rapidly is suspected of 'AI cheating'.
What Baduk fans expect from a commentator is not his opinion, but his role in conveying 'AI recommendations' in an easily understandable manner.
In the face of the great cause of progress, is expert pride a trivial value? Would it be acceptable to be relegated to the role of AI assistants, as long as they receive a salary?
Jang Gang-myeong argues for technological and institutional control over artificial intelligence, citing the clinical trials that pharmaceutical companies must undergo during the new drug development process as an example.
The criticism is that compared to the speed of technological development and the impact it will have on our lives and society, there are insufficient mechanisms to control it.
We also call for responses that transcend national borders, such as nuclear weapons and nuclear energy control through the International Atomic Energy Agency and responses to the climate crisis through international treaties.
Jang Gang-myeong goes further, emphasizing the role of the humanities in believing in and imagining a better future, beyond the radical and flat definition of the "good life" advocated by big tech companies.
That kind of imagination is something that only humans can do, something that artificial intelligence cannot yet do.
"Wouldn't someone come up with a brilliant idea about the source of value and how to control technology? I await a modern thinker.
“I wish smart people would tackle this problem instead of flocking to Silicon Valley.” _Pages 338-339
GOODS SPECIFICS
- Date of issue: June 26, 2025
- Page count, weight, size: 368 pages | 512g | 140*215*25mm
- ISBN13: 9788962626605
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