Dialogue with AI Experts on the Theme of "Everyone's Question Q"
"To create the basic society I dream of, where the fundamental lives of the people are guaranteed by the community, financial capacity is necessary, and I believe AI will open that path."
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, mentioned the concept of a "basic society" again during a discussion with experts on the topic of Artificial Intelligence (AI). It is an idea that productivity increases brought by AI development could help solve distribution issues.
Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, appearing on the YouTube channel OPQR. Democratic Party Public Relations Office
In a video released on June 2 on the YouTube channel OPQR, a public participation project of the Collective Intelligence Center of the Democratic Research Institute called "Everyone's Question Q," Lee Jae-myung stated, "Eventually, modern warfare will all move towards drones, robots, and unmanned systems, so I think national defense should be AI-ized."
The video released that day was a dialogue under the theme "AI (Artificial Intelligence), the Republic of Korea, and Me." Lee appeared as a guest for this first dialogue. The discussion was moderated by Park Tae-woong, head of the Collective Intelligence Center at the Democratic Research Institute, and attended by Lee, Ha Jung-woo, co-representative of the National Union for the Realization of Sound Science and Technology Society, and Oh Hye-yeon, director of the KAIST Artificial Intelligence Institute.
During the dialogue, Lee said, "In the upcoming AI society, if the public sector holds a portion of the tremendous productivity, an era where all citizens share it is possible." He added, "One of my goals is to create opportunities for all citizens to use generative AI without paying money."
He continued, "When the AI era arrives, there will be tremendous productivity improvements, and we cannot predict how society will change. Is it right to assume that the current mass production system will be maintained?" The moderator, Park, then mentioned the concept of a "solar pension."
Lee responded, "The annual energy import amount will be close to 300 trillion won. If we switch energy sources to solar or wind power and have citizens participate, some of it can be shared. I imagine a society where individuals do not have to bear responsibility for their lives solely through their finances and contributions, but where production is shared collectively to cover a significant part."
Lee and the experts discussed the "DeepSeek shock" caused by the Chinese AI DeepSeek, the issue of securing NVIDIA’s high-performance graphics processing unit (GPU) "H100," and administrative challenges in the AI era. Lee asked the experts, "Is innovation like DeepSeek possible just by having enough GPUs? What else should the government do?" Referring to the administrative system, he pointed out, "Due to administrative convenience, researchers spend a tremendous amount of time attaching receipts, and because of concerns about 'waste,' only success is demanded. That should not be the case."
He also emphasized the need for a paradigm shift in a rapidly changing world driven by technological advancement. Lee said, "If the community had held some of the productivity gains, the world might have been different. Also, if the public sector holds it, an era of sharing it is possible. We need to invest in AI, and if the national fund or the state holds a portion, it is possible for all citizens to share part of the production. For example, if a company like NVIDIA exists and 30% of its shares belong to the people, we might not have to rely so much on taxes."
Furthermore, Lee expressed, "I find new hope in artificial intelligence," and mentioned the necessity of a basic society, saying, "The basic society I dream of is one where individuals or specific companies do not monopolize everything, but all citizens share a significant portion." He also stated, "A society where the basic lives of the people are guaranteed by the community should not be a safety net but a safety mat that prevents death even if one falls."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
