Masayoshi Son: "In the Era of ASI, Humans Will Become Goldfish"; Lee: "Concerned About a World Where AI Wins the Nobel Prize"

[Financial News] President Lee Jae-myung and Masayoshi Son, Chairman of SoftBank Group Corp., met at the Office of the President of the Republic of Korea in Yongsan on the 5th. They exchanged views, expressing concerns about the potential era of Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), where AI could surpass human intelligence, and discussed related ethical issues.
President Lee outlined Korea’s strategy to become one of the world’s top three AI powers and introduced the vision of an 'AI Basic Society.' He stated, "Korea is striving to become one of the top three global AI leaders, and I would appreciate your valuable suggestions and advice." He added, "We aim to build a society where everyone can use AI as easily as water and sewage systems."
He also remarked, "You provided significant advice during the recent U.S.-Korea Trade Negotiations, though most of our citizens are unaware of your contributions. I want to express my gratitude." President Lee further emphasized the importance of Korea-Japan Artificial Intelligence Cooperation and asked Son to serve as a bridge between the two countries.
Masayoshi Son introduced the topic of Artificial Superintelligence (ASI), saying, "Today, I want to talk about ASI." He explained, "ASI refers to intelligence that is 10,000 times greater than the human brain. Currently, there is some back-and-forth between humans and AI in terms of intelligence, but eventually, Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) will be surpassed by ASI."
He continued, "In the future, the gap will widen to the point where humanity becomes like goldfish and AI becomes the new humans. This is not a matter of training or experience, but a fundamental change in hardware itself."
President Lee commented, "It seems likely that ASI will win the Nobel Prize in scientific and analytical fields. Should we welcome a world where AI even sweeps the Nobel Prize in Literature?" expressing his concerns. Son responded, "I believe that is possible."
Regarding the ARM School Agreement, President Lee noted that it would greatly contribute to nurturing AI talent.
The meeting was also attended by Bae Kyung-hoon, Deputy Prime Minister for Science and Technology; Kim Jung-kwan, Minister of Industry; Kang Hoon-sik, Chief of Staff; Kim Yong-beom, Policy Chief; Ha Jung-woo, Chief of AI Future Planning; Joon-Kyung Ha, Chief of Economic Growth; and Kyuyoun Lee, Chief of Public Relations.
west@fnnews.com Sung Seok-woo Reporter