LG Group opened its first in-house artificial intelligence graduate school on Wednesday, with Chairman Koo Kwang-mo stressing that advances in AI must ultimately serve people and improve everyday life.

In a congratulatory letter marking the launch of the new graduate program, Koo said technology should never exist as an end in itself but should be used to create meaningful value for people.

“Technology should be a warm tool that designs people’s smiles, not a goal in itself, and it must ultimately be directed toward people,” he said.

LG said the message reflects the group’s long-standing management philosophy that places people and talent at the center of innovation and differentiated customer value.

Koo also emphasized that human talent is the true driving force behind advances in artificial intelligence, noting that LG’s growth has always been built on people.

The chairman said the company’s history of developing talent would serve as a foundation as global competition for AI leadership intensifies.

The newly launched LG AI Graduate School is the first corporate graduate school in Korea to receive official accreditation from the Ministry of Education, allowing employees to pursue master’s and doctoral degrees within the company.

Koo congratulated the inaugural class, describing their journey as both “honorable and meaningful” as the first cohort to enroll in the government-approved program. To mark the occasion, he presented each student with the latest-generation LG Gram laptop equipped with LG’s AI model, Exaone.

The chairman also encouraged students to approach research with courage and curiosity, urging them not to fear failure.

“Failure is proof that we are searching for answers and the most honest path toward innovation,” he said, adding that LG would stand as a strong supporter so that students can pursue new ideas without hesitation.

LG said the graduate school will play an important role in strengthening Korea’s AI competitiveness while expanding the country’s broader innovation ecosystem.

The initiative builds on LG AI Research, the group-level AI think tank Koo launched in 2020.

At the time, Koo said he hoped the organization would attract leading talent and partners to tackle complex global challenges and grow into a hub of the global AI ecosystem.

The first class of the LG AI Graduate School consists of 17 students selected through an internal screening process — 11 enrolled in the master’s program and six in the doctoral program.

Among them are eight employees from LG Electronics, three from LG Energy Solution, two from LG Innotek, two from LG Display and two from LG Chem.

The master’s program runs for one year, while the doctoral program requires at least three years of study. Students will receive full tuition support and graduate with degrees in artificial intelligence.

The faculty includes 24 adjunct professors from LG AI Research specializing in industry-focused AI fields, along with one full-time professor with AI expertise.

The curriculum is designed to combine academic learning with practical industrial applications, drawing on LG AI Research’s infrastructure and industrial data to provide hands-on training.

The program will also host special lectures and seminars in collaboration with leading Korean universities, including Seoul National University, KAIST, DGIST and UNIST.

Lee Hong-lak, co-head of LG AI Research and the inaugural dean of the graduate school, said the program aims to nurture AI leaders capable of solving real-world industrial challenges.

“We will do our best to provide top-level education so that students can go beyond academic contributions and directly solve real challenges in the field while leading future innovation,” he said.

By Jie Ye-eun (yeeun@heraldcorp.com)