VANK has announced the launch of a citizen-led Global Digital Forum through its online public diplomacy platform, WeForm. Designed and developed by VANK, WeForm aims to promote citizen-driven national vision and encourage youth participation in global policy initiatives. The platform’s debut is particularly significant this year, as South Korea assumes the chairmanship of APEC for the first time in two decades—providing an opportunity for the Korean public’s voice to be reflected in global policy discussions.
One of the key themes registered by VANK for the forum centers on “Identifying and Addressing AI-Induced Distortions of History and Culture.” The agenda seeks to shed light on how artificial intelligence, while increasingly shaping global knowledge flows, can perpetuate historical and cultural inaccuracies and even infringe upon the sovereignty of nations. The initiative urges public awareness and participation in confronting these issues in the era of global AI.
VANK stressed the need to critically examine the way AI services, predominantly developed around certain languages and datasets, distort or exclude the histories, cultures, and identities of other nations. Beyond simply benefiting from the convenience of AI technologies, the organization emphasized that societies must recognize and correct the inherent biases that AI systems reproduce.
In particular, VANK framed the issue not merely as a technological challenge, but as one of cultural sovereignty and knowledge justice. On many global AI platforms, Korea is primarily represented through fragments of its pop culture—such as K-pop and dramas—while its traditional culture and history are often oversimplified or overlooked.
The problem, VANK noted, is even more severe in the case of African nations, whose representations in AI-generated content are often filtered through long-standing stereotypes. For instance, when users ask AI platforms about Africa, the responses typically focus on “deserts,” “wildlife,” or “poverty,” ignoring the diversity, modernity, and complexity of its 54 countries. Such portrayals risk reinforcing outdated narratives of Africa as merely a continent of “recipients” or “those in need,” rather than one of innovation, resilience, and growth.
VANK emphasized that a fair and inclusive global AI ecosystem requires international cooperation and the proactive involvement of younger generations. Baek Si-eun, a youth researcher who proposed the agenda, said, “The convenience of artificial intelligence has increased our reliance on it, which makes societies more likely to accept AI-generated information uncritically. However, not all AI outputs are verified or accurate, and repeated exposure to biased or distorted content can ultimately skew our perception of the world.” She added, “Through the launch of WeForm and this Global Digital Forum, we hope young people will take the lead in correcting AI distortions and establishing rightful national and cultural sovereignty in the AI era.”
VANK Director Park Ki-tae underscored the urgency of the issue, stating, “AI will transform humanity’s future—but if the data and algorithms on which it is built reflect global imbalances, it could give rise to a new form of cultural colonialism. Through this initiative, we aim to broaden public understanding of AI-related issues and encourage young people to identify cases of distortion while seeking collaborative international solutions. We hope this will help South Korea and its citizens take the lead in advancing cultural sovereignty in the AI age.”
Through this agenda, VANK aims to foster a broad public consensus on the imbalance of AI-generated information, collect youth-driven proposals for correcting AI distortions, and promote international cooperation to uphold cultural sovereignty in the digital era.
The organization also announced plans to continue using the WeForm platform to share a wide range of global policy agendas and ensure that the voices of Korean citizens are reflected in international organizations and global policy discussions in a meaningful and lasting way.