Digital technology which is developing rapidly, is innovating the structure and practices of individuals, society, and industry and bringing about far-reaching and fundamental changes. Digital transformation, the so-called 4th industrial revolution, has brought many conveniences and opportunities across individuals and industries via technology-driven comfort and power. However, it is casting a shadow of side effects simultaneously.

Dystopian phenomena such as infringement of personal information, false information, cyberbullying, and algorithm discrimination and bias, which are only characterized in the information society, have also become severe. It has become a factor that threatens social integration and development, bringing about social problems such as worsening polarization, unstable employment and job, and the crisis of public opinion and democracy. A new global approach toward the side effects of digital technology is becoming active. Social discussion and attempts to control technologies and big tech companies that disrupt the order and value of the community are spreading.

Worrisome phenomena in digital society are constantly emerging as new problems along with rapidly changing technologies, and there are no fast and efficient solutions to be found. Artificial intelligence and platform industry and algorithm technology development require much more complex and multilayered approaches to solving problems.

For complicated issues in digital society without effective solutions, it is essential to create social consensus through discussions involving the various stakeholders. A practical and new, flexible social agreement and governance suitable for digital society have increasingly become important. It is the work of finding a way to protect individuals and society without hindering the attempts to foster creativity and technology innovation in a digital environment.

The Hankyoreh Human and Digital Forum, which takes its first step in 2022, aims to become a forum for discussion and exploration to develop the technology furthermore humanely and achieve innovation in the digital world under the belief that individuals, society, and industry can prosper together only when technology for putting humans first.