"Chairman Son seems to have a different view on the so-called AI bubble debate," President Lee said.
"A day may come when ASI wins even the Nobel Prize in Literature," Chairman Son said.
President Lee Jae-myung met SoftBank Chairman Masayoshi Son on the 5th to discuss semiconductor cooperation plans to prepare for the "age of artificial super intelligence (ASI)." Presidential Chief of Staff for Policy Kim Yong-beom said at a briefing that day that ARM, a semiconductor design company under SoftBank, and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) to strengthen the semiconductor and AI industries. In particular, considering that Korea is weak in the system semiconductor field, they decided to establish an "ARM School" to train about 1,400 semiconductor design personnel.
President Lee received the chairman at the Yongsan presidential office that afternoon. Also attending were ARM CEO Rene Haas, Ha Jung-woo, presidential senior secretary for AI Future Planning, Minister of Trade, Industry and Energy Kim Jung-kwan, and Minister of Science and ICT Bae Kyung-hoon. President Lee said, "The government of the Republic of Korea recognizes both the usefulness and risks of artificial intelligence," adding, "We are minimizing risks and investing and expecting a lot on the usefulness side. That is because of the tremendous capabilities AI has."
President Lee said, "I believe AI can be used as a basic infrastructure that all people and the state enjoy, like water and sewage systems and roads," adding, "With the concept of an AI basic society, we want to make Korea a society where all people, corporations, and groups can at least basically use AI." He then said, "There has been recent controversy over an artificial intelligence bubble, but it seems the chairman has a different view," and asked, "I would like to hear about that part as well."
◇ Six years ago Son Jeong-ui shouted "AI, AI, AI," this time it's "ASI"
The chairman said, "When I met President Kim Dae-jung in the past, I emphasized 'broadband,' and when I met former President Moon Jae-in, I emphasized 'AI,'" adding, "What I want to say this time is 'ASI, ASI, ASI.' In other words, I think artificial super intelligence is the next imminent technology."
He said there are many disagreements over whether "artificial general intelligence" (AGI), which has intelligence at the same level as the human brain, can be realized, adding, "ChatGPT 5.1 already has intelligence at the Ph.D. level, but sometimes it fails to understand the (everyday) conversations I have with my wife," and, "Like the stripes of a zebra, sometimes AI seems smarter, and at other times the human brain seems better, going back and forth."
However, the chairman said that ASI, not AGI, will become the main topic of the future artificial intelligence industry. He said, "ASI is an artificial intelligence 10,000 times more advanced than the human brain," comparing it to the level of "a goldfish vs. a human." The chairman said, "Pets are cute, but I think humans should always be under our control," adding, "Going forward, humanity will become the goldfish, and AI will become the human." He meant an era will come when AI fully controls humans.
President Lee said, "I am a bit worried. Will that problem be resolved well?" and asked, "It seems likely that ASI will win a Nobel Prize in science or analysis, but will the day really come when ASI sweeps even the Nobel Prize in Literature?" He also said, "It seems it would not be desirable, but what is your view?" To this, the chairman said, "I think that could happen."