Digital Empowerment

Data Governance: Concept and Global Practices

On March 23, the first seminar of the Digital Empowerment 2023 – Data Governance series on “Data Governance: Concept and Global Practices” was held online by FNF Korea and KLID. FNF and KLID have been organizing online seminars since 2020 to contribute to strengthening digital capacity and capabilities of local governments and related institutions. The Data Governance series is the latest addition to the series, following past events on digital transformation, A.I, and Living Lab. The series aims to share various domestic and global cases of data management and use, including the concept of data governance, data-related national and local government policy, and best practices for using big data.

The seminar included two speakers, Prof. Nam Taewoo and Yoon Kun, who shed light on the importance of data quality assurance and effective data governance systems. Prof. Nam Taewoo from Sungkyunkwan University explained that today, data governance encompasses not only structured data, but also unstructured data such as video, sound, and images. He emphasized the importance of data quality assurance, stating that it is crucial to prevent "garbage in, garbage out" scenarios.

Yoon Kun from Hanshin University, the second speaker, pointed out the core problem with data, which is data congestion. Data must flow freely to where it is needed without any obstacles and the government has a role to play in connecting data pipelines and removing obstacles to ensure the success of data policies. He presented various overseas examples from countries such as the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United States, Canada, and Australia, showcasing how effective governance systems can be established.

During the discussion, participants raised various questions about the application of ChatGPT and artificial intelligence. Prof. Nam expressed concern about the risk associated with ChatGPT and stated that Korea's data is not perfect. He also highlighted the importance of considering which fields can benefit from the utilization of data and which fields should avoid it altogether. Moreover, he discussed how AI can perpetuate discrimination and conflicts due to its ability to learn from biased data, citing the example of the 'Lee Luda' controversy where an Korean AI chatbot made inflammatory remarks and sparked controversy over the ethics of AI use.

In conclusion, the seminar emphasized the importance of effective data governance systems, data quality assurance, and the need to carefully consider the implications of utilizing data in various fields. The next seminar of the series will be held in June.