[Essay in My Heart] 

Gani-jip (簡易集) — A Treasure Book for the Age of Artificial Intelligence?

In an age when artificial intelligence writes texts, creates images, and even conducts academic analysis, we often find ourselves asking: What, then, is uniquely human creativity? One possible answer can be found in the life and work of a sixteenth-century Joseon intellectual, Gani Choi Rip (崔岦, 1536–1593), and his collected writings, Gani-jip. This classical work, which has traveled across centuries, paradoxically takes on even greater significance in the age of artificial intelligence, earning its place as a true “treasure book.”

Choi Rip was a representative Renaissance-like figure of mid-Joseon Korea. He was a Neo-Confucian scholar and poet, a diplomat and educator, and a practical thinker who grappled deeply with real-world issues. By today’s standards, he was not a specialist confined to a single field, but rather a “convergent intellectual” who moved freely across multiple domains. The more our era emphasizes AI’s strength in rapidly processing vast amounts of information, the more clearly the value of this kind of human intellect stands out.

The thinking embodied in Gani-jip reveals philosophy, literature, politics, and diplomacy not as separate disciplines, but as organically interconnected realms. Choi Rip’s poetry and prose reflect deep introspection into the human inner world, while his scholarly writings reveal a keen sense of responsibility toward society. This was not merely the accumulation of knowledge, but the result of creative thinking that permeated his entire life. Here, too, lies something that artificial intelligence finds difficult to replicate. AI can recombine existing data, but integrative thinking grounded in historical consciousness and human responsibility remains firmly within the human domain.

Particularly noteworthy is Choi Rip’s diplomatic activity. In diplomatic encounters with Ming China, he elevated Joseon’s national stature by intellectually and culturally persuading his counterparts. This was not achieved through linguistic ability or ceremonial knowledge alone, but through a combination of deep understanding of the other civilization, pride in its own culture, and creative judgment suited to each situation. Even today, in an era of global networks and AI-powered translation technologies, this kind of “context-sensitive creativity” remains at the core of human diplomacy.

Choi Rip also demonstrated a pioneering spirit in education and social thought. He believed that scholarship should not remain an abstract pursuit detached from reality, but should move in directions that benefit both individuals and society. This attitude later developed into an intellectual current that laid the groundwork for Silhak (Practical Learning). Gani-jip stands as a record that vividly preserves traces of this early Silhak consciousness and leadership.

Living in the age of artificial intelligence, we must concern ourselves less with “what can be calculated more quickly” and more with “how we can think more meaningfully.” At this point, Gani-jip becomes not merely a classical text, but a guidebook for cultivating creativity. Choi Rip’s mode of thinking begins by breaking down boundaries between disciplines, linking personal self-cultivation with social responsibility, and reading the spirit of the age (Zeitgeist). This resonates closely with why interdisciplinary education, creative problem-solving, and humanistic imagination are emphasized today.

Choi Rip’s life and thought can be organized around three axes: intellectual pursuits, diplomatic achievements, and practical philosophy coupled with social leadership. These were not separate accomplishments, but expressions of a single creative spirit. And that spirit is not confined to a particular era. On the contrary, as technology becomes more advanced, it reemerges through renewed questions about the essence of what it means to be human.

Gani-jip can be considered a treasure of the AI age because it shows us not only what to think, but how to think. Unlike artificial intelligence, which provides quick answers, Choi Rip’s writings leave space for reflection. Within that space, readers are invited to question, connect, and create for themselves.

There is an obvious reason the intellectual legacy left by a Joseon scholar centuries ago deserves to be read again today. The more artificial intelligence becomes a part of everyday life, the more precious the uniquely human creative spirit becomes. And as a quiet yet profound guide that nurtures that spirit, Gani-jip fully deserves to be called a “treasure book” even in our own time. 

December 29, 2025

{Solti}

한국어 Translation:  https://www.ktown1st.com/blog/VALover/348115