Lee Jae-myung Met Yuval Harari: "Talked About K-NVIDIA and Was Branded a Communist"

Lee Jae-myung and Yuval Harari Discuss Social Inequality in the Age of AI
"Government Intervention Is Essential to Prevent Wealth Monopolization"
Harari Stresses the Need for Welfare, Retraining, and Algorithm Regulation

On the 22nd, Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, met with Yuval Harari, a world-renowned scholar from Hebrew University in Israel, to discuss social inequality in the era of artificial intelligence (AI).

At the meeting, Lee said, “(The AI industry) requires enormous investment, so it is highly likely that only large corporations and a few will enjoy the wealth,” adding, “Isn't there a need for the public sector to invest and share a significant portion of the investment returns?”

Lee Jae-myung Met Yuval Harari: "Talked About K-NVIDIA and Was Branded a Communist"

Yuval Harari, author of 'Sapiens' and a world-renowned Israeli scholar and former professor at Hebrew University, is having a dialogue on artificial intelligence (AI) with Lee Jae-myung, leader of the Democratic Party of Korea, on the 22nd at Sarangjae, the National Assembly in Yeouido, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

The meeting was conducted as a one-on-one dialogue lasting 100 minutes. Harari visited Korea to promote his recently published book, Nexus, and the two engaged in conversation for the first time in four years since 2021.

Lee said, “Not long ago, I suggested investing in AI-related companies with the national wealth fund, which is the people's and the nation's capital, to secure a substantial share, and even proposed public participation in the business itself, but I was heavily criticized as a communist.”

In response, Professor Harari said, “Historically, it is necessary to overcome resistance from large corporations and chaebols,” adding, “Ultimately, the government must invest heavily. The government must intervene in some way.”

Earlier this month, Lee presented a future vision on a YouTube broadcast, suggesting that if a company like Nvidia were established in Korea and 30% of its shares were held by the public, there would be less reliance on taxes.

While he did not give a clear answer regarding a ‘national wealth company,’ he expressed consensus on the necessity of ‘government intervention.’ Professor Harari refrained from making specific comments on economic issues but instead responded by referring to the child labor problem during the 19th-century Industrial Revolution.

Harari said, “Child labor is not only unethical but also economically disadvantageous,” adding, “Sending children to school and educating them is economically better, so the government must intervene.”

He continued, “In fact, from an economic and national perspective, it is right to send children to school to receive education.” He also said the government should build schools and establish an education system. Harari emphasized, “The situation is similar even now,” and “In principle, the government must intervene.”

Furthermore, Professor Harari mentioned the need for welfare and retraining. He explained, “As AI becomes increasingly intelligent and replaces humans, humans must continuously rehabilitate themselves, reinvent themselves, and be able to have new jobs.”

He added, “What the government can do is regulate algorithms,” advising, “For example, banning counterfeit humans.” This means that freedom of expression should be protected only for humans, and situations where AI incites anger must be addressed.

At this point, Lee said, “I thought President Yoon Seok-youl, who declared martial law, was a fake (counterfeit) human.”

Lee expressed concern about the possibility of some companies monopolizing wealth in the AI era. He said, “There is a high possibility that certain groups will monopolize the fruits of technological advancement, ultimately creating a worse world,” and “It is very likely that the outcomes of an AI-dominated society will be monopolized by a small number of companies.” He also asked Harari, “How can we overcome this enormous concentration?”

In response, Professor Harari said, “The keyword is trust,” adding, “Trust must be built among people to control AI.” He pointed out, “The problem is that things are going in the exact opposite direction now. Trust between countries is being destroyed, as well as trust in international laws and agreements.” This implies that to control AI risks, governments and companies must refrain from competition and achieve cooperation.