Lee Sedol Tries Jobs AI Can’t Replace in New KBS Variety Show

Legendary Go player Lee Sedol is taking on a very different challenge in a new KBS variety show centered on jobs and activities that artificial intelligence cannot easily replace.

The upcoming program, titled Jobless Lee Sedol, humorously presents the retired Go champion as a late-starting newcomer to the working world who is highly skilled at Baduk but unfamiliar with everyday jobs outside the game.

Promotional footage shows Lee Sedol trying a variety of activities, including throwing a ceremonial first pitch, working as a beer vendor and washing windows on a high-rise building.

The show also leans into Lee Sedol’s history with artificial intelligence, jokingly describing him as “the first human to lose his job to AI” before sending him in search of work that AI cannot replace.

The concept quickly drew attention online, with viewers praising both the premise and the decision to cast Lee Sedol.

Jobless Lee Sedol is scheduled to premiere on KBS on October 23 at 8:30 p.m.

Netizen Reactions

The sampled Pann comments were overwhelmingly amused and positive, with many saying that Lee Sedol himself is what makes an otherwise familiar work-experience format feel fresh.

1. Whoa...... He’s actually a beneficiary of AI ㅋㅋㅋ

2. A one-man version of Experience the Scene of Life.

3. Lee Sedol is likable, but his voice is... kind of, you know. Not that it’s bad or anything.

4. The title is way too brutal ㅋㅋ Jobless Lee Sedol ㅋㅋㅋ And the English title is Jobless Lee Se-dol ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

5. Jobless Lee Sedol, but he probably has tens of billions of won sitting in his bank account....

6. How did they even cast him??? At this point, did Lee Sedol come up with the concept himself??? ㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎㅎ

7. There’s that part in Interstellar where they say farmers will be more important than engineers in the future, and it made me think about future jobs. It’s impressive that KBS came up with a variety show like this, and impressive that Lee Sedol agreed to do it too.

8. Just hearing about it sounds fun ㅋㅋㅋㅋ

9. This is the best casting/concept match since Rookie Manager Kim Yeon-koung ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ Kim Yeon-koung 2 just started too, so my week is going to be fun waiting for both of them ㅋ.ㅋ

10. Lee Sedol probably has a ridiculous amount of money.

Source: Nate Pann