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Korea Herald
a day ago
- Science
- Korea Herald
AI teaching assistant shows real promise at S. Korea tech university KAIST
South Korea's top science and engineering university has rolled out a custom-built AI teaching assistant to help students in large graduate courses, and early results show it helped reduce repetitive student questions while encouraging more active, self-directed learning. At Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, a team of researchers led by AI graduate school professor Choi Yoon-jae and design professor Hong Hwa-jung developed a virtual teaching assistant, or VTA, that can answer student questions at any time, with responses tailored to specific lectures and coursework. The tool was piloted last fall in a programming class for AI, taken by 477 graduate students. It's the first time such a system has been tested at scale in a Korean university setting. What sets the KAIST VTA apart is that it isn't a generic chatbot. Instead, it runs on what's called a retrieval-augmented generation model, which pulls directly from course materials like slides, coding exercises and lecture videos. When students ask a question, the system finds the most relevant content and formulates a response based on that context. This means answers are grounded in what's actually taught, not just generated from a general AI model. Over 50 percent of students used the system regularly during the 14-week semester, generating nearly 3,870 questions and answers. Students without a strong background in AI or coding were among the most active users, suggesting the VTA helped close knowledge gaps for those new to the subject. These figures come from internal usage data collected by KAIST during the semester. The system didn't just benefit students. According to lead TA and doctoral researcher Kwon Soon-jun, it reduced the number of routine questions from students, such as basic concept definitions or explanations already given in class. That allowed human teaching assistants to focus more on deeper, more complex issues. Compared to the previous year's course, the volume of questions requiring direct responses from TAs dropped by around 40 percent, based on data compiled by Professor Choi. Students also appeared more comfortable asking questions through the VTA than to human TAs, especially when it came to theoretical topics. Surveys conducted by Choi's research team before, during and after the course showed that students became increasingly confident in the system's reliability, and those who had been hesitant to speak up in class reported higher satisfaction levels when using the AI assistant. The VTA's source code has been released publicly on GitHub to encourage adoption by other educators and researchers. The work was also accepted to the Industry Track at ACL 2025, one of the leading international conferences in natural language processing
Korea Herald
26-05-2025
- Business
- Korea Herald
From mussels to hair: How a KAIST scientist turned polyphenol into a global shampoo hit
Selling out in Paris and with CES buzz, Grabity shampoo gains traction on global stage It all started with mussels. How do they cling so tightly to rocks underwater without hands? The answer lies in polyphenol — a transparent, adhesive substance they secrete. Inspired by this natural phenomenon, Lee Hae-sin, a leading chemical engineering professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, developed Grabity shampoo — a runaway hit that grips hair the way mussels cling to rocks. Since its launch in April last year, over 1.2 million units have been sold, with sales of 20 billion won ($14.6 million). The shampoo has demonstrated a remarkable ability to reduce hair loss by up to 70 percent — and by as much as 90 percent among patients clinically diagnosed with hair loss — making it a breakout success for Lee's startup, Polyphenol Factory. Born in a science lab, the shampoo is now setting its sights on global expansion, with its proven effectiveness aimed at tapping into the billion-dollar hair loss treatment industry. 'We're just a little over a year old as a brand, and the popularity we gained in Korea gave us the confidence to go abroad,' Lee said in an interview with The Korea Herald on May 16, the day he returned to Seoul from Paris, where his company showcased Grabity at Foire de Paris 2025, one of Europe's largest consumer trade fairs. 'But we didn't expect to receive such an overwhelming response from people of different nationalities and ethnicities, since the product was originally developed with Korean consumers in mind.' From lab to locks: The science behind a viral hair loss fix At Foire de Paris 2025, Polyphenol Factory's booth drew about 10,000 visitors on the first day alone, with all 5,000 units of Grabity shampoo selling out. An additional 5,000 units brought in by the company quickly sold out as well. 'I had never tested or sold our product to what you'd call a Western demographic, but I found that people were genuinely interested,' Lee said, noting that one visitor even returned the next day with a friend after trying the product. 'Despite differences in hair types, Grabity proved to be effective.' Grabity received similarly enthusiastic responses during its US debut at CES 2025, the world's largest annual tech and consumer trade show held in January in Las Vegas. Grabity shampoo and treatment products are currently available on Amazon, but Lee is preparing for an official launch in the US and other major markets. Polyphenol Factory has partnered with Lotte Home Shopping to expand into several European countries as well as Japan and Taiwan. The key ingredient that helps Grabity hold hair in place is polyphenol, a natural compound commonly found in plants. 'The adhesive has to withstand exposure to water during shampooing, and polyphenol is a great substance that has this capability,' Lee explained. While shedding 50 to 70 hairs per day is normal for a healthy scalp, individuals experiencing hair loss may shed over 100 strands daily. As hair strands become thinner and narrower than the pores they grow from, they loosen and more easily fall out. Grabity's formula addresses this by filling that gap — the polyphenols form bonds between the hair strand and the pore wall, acting as a natural adhesive to hold hair in place. 'In our clinical study with patients diagnosed with hair loss, daily hair shedding dropped by up to 90 percent, with some seeing results in just two weeks,' Lee said. 'Someone losing 100 strands a day saw that fall to around 30.' In 2023, Lee registered his lab as a faculty-led startup at KAIST, where the ingredients were specially processed into a high-adhesion form. The resulting technology was patented under the name LiftMax 380. This processed polyphenol sets Grabity apart from many other shampoo products on the market that claim to use the compound. According to Lee, most products simply add polyphenol extracts into a conventional shampoo base. 'It's more like turning soybeans into tofu,' he explained. 'You're not just adding a raw ingredient — you're changing its form and function.' For Grabity, Lee's lab uses extracts from walnut shells. How blood vessel breakthrough became hair care hit Lee's work with polyphenol dates back to his postdoctoral research at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studied how the compound could be used to deliver anti-inflammatory drugs directly to the walls of blood vessels — helping prevent arterial narrowing, a key factor in conditions like arteriosclerosis and cerebral infarction. 'To prevent blood vessels from narrowing and becoming blocked, the anti-inflammatory drug needs to be delivered precisely to the affected vessel. But it was always challenging because blood flows at an incredibly fast speed — faster than cars on a highway,' Lee said. 'Polyphenols have made this targeted delivery possible.' He published his research and transferred the technology to a Japanese company. Learning that polyphenols bond well to blood due to its high plasma protein content, Lee was inspired to develop his next invention: a hemostatic agent. 'When I thought about what might work outside the body, hair came to mind easily, because it's made of keratin — a protein,' he said. Grabity's production remains limited, as the LiftMax 380 solution is mixed in-house by a 15-member team, including seven core researchers, before being manufactured by a partner factory. With demand surging — and resale prices on secondhand platforms reaching up to seven times the original price when the product sells out — Polyphenol Factory is planning to expand its production capacity. Still, Lee is clear that scaling up the company is not his ultimate goal. 'We often talk about 'innovation in the everyday,'' Lee said. 'Polyphenols can be used in highly technical applications, but I wanted to create products that people can actually feel and use in their daily lives — something accessible, not just advanced.' New products using the same nature-driven material are already in the pipeline, including nail and eyelash adhesives, and even a solution for hair implantation. His research has shown that polyphenol-based adhesives can effectively implant hair without follicles. While the implanted hair does not grow, it can visibly fill in thinning areas — a solution Lee believes could be especially helpful for women experiencing small, patchy hair loss. 'We're not a cosmetics company. We're a tech company,' he said, emphasizing his role as a researcher. Lee, now an endowed chair in KAIST's department of chemistry, in his career has authored 237 papers and holds 68 technology patents. 'If there's no clear scientific foundation behind what we offer, we won't expand product lines just for the sake of it. We don't do concept-only products. That's our guiding principle.'
Euronews
17-04-2025
- Science
- Euronews
New breakthrough in quantum mechanics could make electronics more efficient
ADVERTISEMENT Physicists have discovered that a quantum mechanical phenomenon previously understood to only occur at extremely low temperatures can happen at room temperature. Even better, the currents they generated were 10 times stronger than before. The breakthrough means that we may have taken a step closer to low-power, high-performance electronics at a time when demand for artificial intelligence (AI) is soaring. The new study, published by researchers at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) and Sogang University in South Korea, has found a new way to generate spin currents at room temperature using a method called longitudinal spin pumping, The team said the observation was "highly unexpected". Related Most Europeans know about quantum without knowing specifically what it is, new survey finds "Spin pumping is a method that generates spin currents through magnetisation dynamics. Previous studies have relied on classical magnetisation dynamics, which produce relatively small spin currents," Kyung-Jin Lee, a researcher at the Department of Physics at KAIST, told Euronews NEXT. "In our research, we discovered that spin pumping currents generated from quantum magnetisation dynamics are an order of magnitude larger than those from classical magnetisation dynamics," Lee added. Experts say this could mean we are a step closer to more efficient memory and computing devices that consume less power. A team at KAIST conducted a 'challenging' experiment to detect spin pumping currents on the nanosecond timescale, using a new material made of iron rhodium Kab-Jin Kim/ KAIST "A mechanism that can boost a spin current 10 times [more] than earlier… is very promising and exciting," Aamir Ali, a quantum technology research specialist at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden, told Euronews Next. Lee adds that with so many mobile devices today, energy efficiency is important, especially as the growing demand for AI requires more computing power. What is spintronics and how can it help our lives? Most electronics we use today rely on electronic circuits. In these small chips, electrons move to process and store information. One downside of this mechanism is that energy is lost and generates heat while electrons move through a circuit. Spintronics has gained in popularity as a potential solution. Related Scientists develop record cold refrigerator that could unlock full potential of quantum computers Spintronics researchers around the world have been trying to generate enough currents using an electron's spin rather than its charge as in traditional electronics. "Spintronics also offers mechanisms that give much more sensitivity in detecting spin than traditional charge-based electronics," said Ali. ADVERTISEMENT Ali said it means that hard disk drives can be read faster. In 2007, Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg were awarded the Nobel Prize in Physics for their discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR), a spintronics phenomenon that enabled ultra-sensitive magnetic read heads in hard disk drives. Spintronics devices are already being developed and used at room temperature by semiconductor manufacturers around the world, but they rely on relatively weaker spin-based effects. A mechanism that can boost a spin current 10 times [more] than earlier… is very promising and exciting. Aamir Ali Quantum technology research specialist, Chalmers University of Technology Experts say generating spin currents is challenging. ADVERTISEMENT The research team believes their new findings could directly impact a type of memory called Magnetoresistive Random Access Memory (MRAM), which is a spintronics component with a wide range of applications from software and medical devices to aerospace. "MRAM devices rely on spin currents to record data, and our findings – demonstrating that quantum magnetisation dynamics at room temperature can generate significantly larger spin currents – could lead to lower power consumption in MRAM. This advancement may further accelerate MRAM adoption by enhancing its energy efficiency and scalability," said Lee. Semiconductor giants like Samsung are exploring whether MRAM could become the next-generation memory for AI computing. Researchers of the study at a KAIST lab Kab-Jin Kim /KAIST Experimental-theoretical approach Researchers say the combined experimental-theoretical approach was crucial in establishing the findings, as quantum science involves particles that can't be seen by humans. ADVERTISEMENT First, a team at Sogang University made a new material made of iron rhodium. After, a team at KAIST conducted a "challenging" experiment to detect spin pumping currents on the nanosecond timescale, which required advanced ultrafast measurement techniques, according to the research team. Related What is the quantum threat and what has simple maths got to do with protecting global security? Then a theory group analysed the experimental data. Researchers say they now aim to turn these findings into real-world designs that could change the way our electronics work. ADVERTISEMENT "Looking ahead, we plan to explore new materials and mechanisms to further enhance spin current generation," Lee said. "Additionally, we aim to develop novel spintronic device architectures that leverage quantum effects for ultra-low-power and high-performance memory and logic applications". For more on this story, watch the video in the media player above.
Korea Herald
14-04-2025
- Science
- Korea Herald
H.eco Festa calls for empathy, innovation to address climate change
With the effects of global warming accelerating and intensifying, scientists, entrepreneurs, professors and students at Festa called for greater empathy across generations toward the climate crisis, along with innovative scientific solutions to address it. Festa, the revamped name of the annual Forum, took place at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology's Lyu Keun-chul Sports Complex in Daejeon on April 9. During a panel talk focused on discussing the potential impacts of climate change in the next 10 years moderated by broadcaster Ahn Hyun-mo, professor Kim Hyung-jun from KAIST's Graduate School of Future Strategy discussed about the Meta Earth initiative and how it can be used to 'determine the future of Earth.' Meta Earth is a research initiative that examines how human life alters the Earth's climate and how climate change can conversely impact human societies. According to Kim, this includes 'developing numerical models that represent human activities across sectors like water, agriculture and energy and later assessing their impacts on a global scale, exploring renewable energy developments and their climactic consequences.' 'The Meta Earth model can be used to determine who's at fault behind disasters such as droughts and floods,' Kim added. 'There is a question about whether the direct cause of disasters is solely human-caused or whether there are other natural or climatic causes. We are trying to answer this question with the Meta Earth model.' Kim also mentioned that the Meta Earth model can be used by different countries to examine the kinds of impact countries' actions can have on each other. 'Carbon emissions in the US or China, for example, can play a key part in accelerating effects of climate change in developing countries. Out of the 190-something countries in the world, the countries placed in the top 10 percent (based on their standards of living) can be said to be responsible for the increase in temperature for at least 80 percent of the countries on Earth,' Kim explained. 'This is where Meta Earth comes into play. (Meta Earth) can help form simulations that help developed countries, such as the US for example, understand how actions that boost carbon emissions can stir natural disaster occurrences in other parts of the world such as the Amazon Rainforest.' After Kim's presentation, Park Sung-bin, an undergraduate student from KAIST's Nuclear and Quantum Engineering, one of the panel discussants, called for older generations to empathize with younger generations about the seriousness of climate change. 'As someone a part of the climate generation, I can say for sure that I have felt the impacts of climate change throughout my life, but there will always be someone who says otherwise,' said Park. 'Though not everyone may say that climate change should seriously be dealt with, I'm sure it'll only get worse for the next generations of people if nothing is done from here. Park added that older generations, especially those who are policymakers, 'must learn to listen into the younger generations and empathize' with them on their concerns about climate change, 'to take actions countering global warming from here for the future generation.' Following the 20-minute discussion on the potential impacts of climate change in the future, a second panel talk themed 'Can Going Green Be Profitable?' featured four entrepreneurs who launched their businesses in various fields based on eco-friendly technologies and materials. Ghim Se-hoon, CEO of aweXome Ray, discussed his company's products focused on air sterilization and purification solutions, while CEO Kim Jeung-bin of SuperBin discussed his business model which uses waste generated in cities to create alternative materials that can replace textiles – the first of its kind globally. The idea behind eco-friendly menstrual pads was also introduced by Kim Hyo-yi, CEO of Inertia and a KAIST alum, while Jeon Gun-ha, CEO of Holidaybus, talked about his company's idea of creating clothes using recycled plastic waste. The moderator of the second panel talk, CEO Lee Soon-youl from Korea Social Investment Foundation, called for 'an increase in capital from the private sector' to 'actively conduct bold business investments' in eco-friendly startup companies. 'Compared to other developed countries, the scale of investments being made in eco-friendly, climate-conscious companies are four times less,' said Lee. SuperBin, according to CEO Kim Jeung-bin, had received up to 100 billion won ($70.1 million) in investments when it was first launched. It could have received close to 400 billion won in other developed countries, according to Lee. 'Climate tech, which requires significant time and capital for technology development and commercialization, is taking a direct hit from the evident hesitance in wanting to invest into eco-friendly companies. As a result, many of such eco-friendly companies are actively considering relocating overseas,' Lee stated. 'In this situation, an increase in private capital to make further investments, are more necessary than ever.' Beside thought-provoking talks on climate change, Festa also saw performances by singer-songwriter Ha Hyun-woo, who is also the lead vocal of the rock band Guckkasten. During the event, Ha performed some hit songs including 'Diamond,' from the soundtrack of popular 2020 drama series 'Itaewon Class' and 'Lazenca, Save Us,' a remake of the 1997 music track by late rock legend Shin Hae-chul. The Festa is an annual event designed to raise environmental awareness and to provide a platform that encourages a friendlier approach toward climate change and environmental issues that may otherwise seem daunting and difficult. The forum is hosted and organized by Herald Media Group, which publishes The Korea Herald and Herald Business.
Korea Herald
11-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Korea Herald
'What Korea lacked became its creative engine': Lee Jung-jae
'Squid Game' star says advances in Korean entertainment tech fuel growing ambition Actor Lee Jung-jae stated that 'a sense of lacking' in the Korean entertainment industry's capital and technological resources can be said to have been a fierce driving force behind the rapid growth of Korean content, with technological limitations 'now a thing of the past.' At the Innovate Korea 2025 event held at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology in Daejeon on Wednesday, Lee, an actor, filmmaker and executive director of the agency Artist Company, took part in a panel discussion focused on exploring the present and future of 'enter-tech' -- a field that merges entertainment and technologies such as artificial intelligence to increase the value of entertainment content. During Wednesday's panel discussion, Lee explained that Korea's once-limited capital and technological capabilities -- especially in comparison to Hollywood -- fueled a drive among content creators to 'compete through storytelling.' 'This creative intensity, born to fill the sense of lack in capital and technologies, became a foundation of the global success behind Korean entertainment content,' Lee said. The 52-year-old star likened the current success of Korean content to the moon jar, a traditional Korean white porcelain jar from the Joseon era (1392-1910) known for its simplicity and asymmetry. Adding that moon jars were made due to Korea's lack of material resources and techniques in ceramics compared to China and Japan at the time, Lee expounded that it forced artists then to create with what little they had, resulting in something uniquely valuable today. 'What truly matters is the philosophy behind the creation,' said Lee, emphasizing how important creative ideas and hard work are to success. 'The ideas, firm determination and hard work resulting from a lack are what shaped K-content to be as we know of today.' The actor added that many of the factors that contributed to the sense of lacking in Korea's entertainment sector have now been largely overcome, with a specific focus on technological capabilities in Korean entertainment. 'Now, even the most basic form of CGI (computer-generated imagery) is used when it comes to producing low-budget films, showing how much the technological groundwork has advanced,' Lee said. 'This is what fuels my ambition to take on even bigger challenges. In the past, there were so many things we couldn't even dream of attempting -- but now, with the right idea, it feels like almost anything is possible. That makes me even more ambitious.' On Wednesday, Lee also surprised the audience by reenacting the famous 'freeze' scene from the most recent season of Netflix's 'Squid Game,' in which Lee stars as protagonist Gi-hun. Members of KAIST's robotics club, MR, presented a special "Squid Game"-themed performance featuring three robots made by the students, inspired by the Netflix series. The robots included one wielding a gun that fires when it senses movement, a Young-hee robot that turns its head to track movements and a Cheol-su robot that mimics people's motions. At the students' request, the "Squid Game" star came to the stage to re-create a scene from the game of Red Light, Green Light with the students, drawing cheers and loud applause from the audience. Following the performance, Lee thanked the students, saying he appreciated 'the effort students put into the performance.' Lee also voiced optimism about the future of 'enter-tech' with the collaboration of KAIST students. 'I believe all solutions are found through collaboration, and I trust that the answer lies with KAIST's students,' he said. 'If KAIST's students collaborate with people in the entertainment industry, I think they will be able to create tremendous opportunities in the market.' Innovate Korea is an annual event that highlights the convergence of art and technology, jointly hosted by Herald Media Group, KAIST and the National Research Council of Science and Technology. This year was its third annual event, held under the theme of 'Tech Up the Party!'
