Meeting with Professor Hong Seok-jun
On January 5th, at the start of this year, I requested a meeting with Professor Hong Seok-jun of Sungkyunkwan University. Professor Hong is affiliated with the IBS Neuroimaging Research Group, and we had been in regular contact via email for quite some time. This all began when I watched a video on Professor Hong’s YouTube channel about Active Inference, a theory in neuroscience, which inspired me to reach out to him directly. In his videos, Professor Hong discusses the history and trends of artificial intelligence, sharing his vision of achieving human-level AI. At that time, I had a vague interest in consciousness and was somewhat disillusioned with the current generation of AI technology. His lectures were like a breath of fresh air. Coincidentally, I was also deeply engaged with the possibilities and vision of Active Inference, organizing and running a study group on the topic.
The most pressing question during this meeting was to seek advice on how to continue my research in this field. During my undergraduate years, much of my time was spent in isolation due to the pandemic, making it difficult to prepare for a career in theoretical neuroscience and AI on my own. Therefore, I introduced the problems and interests I aim to solve to Professor Hong:
- Bridging Natural and Artificial Intelligence: Developing formal theoretical frameworks or proposing computational methodologies.
- Solving Problems Related to Consciousness: Conducting scientific research on the real problem of consciousness, using Active Inference and probabilistic machine learning theories for simulation methodologies.
- Achieving Human-Level AI: Implementing an agent equipped with cognitive functions such as perception, action, attention, and emotion, as proposed by Dennett.
Professor Hong provided invaluable advice. One of the key points that stuck with me was that applying for a PhD program requires the same level of seriousness as seeking a new job. It’s crucial to acquire skills and research design methods that can serve as a solid foundation for yourself. A PhD program is not merely a time to learn new things but an opportunity to deepen and broaden your existing skills while establishing your identity as a researcher.
Therefore, finding the right school and program where you can excel in your research is of utmost importance, especially since you are investing five, or possibly seven, years of your life.
He also advised on whether it would be necessary to pursue a master’s degree first or go straight into a PhD. While the cultural norm in Korea places high value on achieving things earlier than others, in the actual research and professional community, the process of learning by writing papers is far more important. Without this deep learning experience, graduating early with few publications could pose significant challenges in securing a job later. In fact, researchers who excel in academia often produce three to four high-quality papers during their PhD and then rapidly increase their publication rate during their postdoc. This, he explained, is a healthy way to progress.
Ultimately, he suggested that if I was truly clear about what I wanted to do, it might be worth trying. For instance, if I am really passionate about developing human-level AI, it might be a good idea to directly join a department like Google Robotics and grow by balancing work and research without pursuing a PhD.
I am sincerely grateful to Professor Hong Seok-jun for taking the time to meet with me. As a senior researcher and professor, he provided me with a sense of reassurance and excitement for the future. This meeting prompted me to ask myself many questions: Is this truly the topic I want to pursue? Is it too abstract? What specific area do I want to research, and what results do I hope to achieve? Am I really willing to dedicate my life to solving this problem? These are the questions I will continue to ponder.
Comments