President Lee Jae Myung and Google DeepMind CEO Demis Hassabis met to discuss the promise and peril of artificial intelligence, including global guardrails and basic income for a society increasingly being reshaped by AI.
The meeting at Cheong Wa Dae in Seoul on Monday came about 10 years after AlphaGo’s landmark Go match in the city helped usher in the modern era of AI in 2016.
“The two sides held in-depth discussions on the rapid recent advances in AI technology, the direction of future developments, the responsible use of AI and ways to strengthen global cooperation,” Kim Yong-beom, presidential chief of staff for policy, said during a press briefing.
Lee and Hassabis also “discussed basic income at length,” according to Kim.
“President Lee said he has talked about basic income for more than 20 years and asked whether the AI era is precisely the time when basic income is needed,” Kim said.
“Hassabis agreed on the need for basic income, while adding that there is also a need to consider ways for the state to provide basic services such as housing, education, transportation and health care, while incorporating the principles of capital markets.”
