At a press conference held at the Roh Moo-hyun Citizen Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul, on the 20th, Yuval Harari expressed this concern. He warned, "A country that leads in AI could overwhelm others militarily and economically, turning the world into an AI empire."

Yuval Harari is giving a greeting at the press conference for the release of his new book "Nexus" held on the 20th at the Roh Moo-hyun Citizen Center in Jongno-gu, Seoul. Photo by Yonhap News

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This is Yuval Harari's third visit to Korea. He explained, "My visit was delayed due to COVID-19, the crisis threatening Israeli democracy, and the recent war with Hamas." He pointed out that global security instability threatens the lives of many, and that AI is also a pillar of such anxiety.

Yuval Harari expressed concern about the rapid development of AI without any preparation for its risks. He noted that all human inventions so far have been 'tools' used by humans, but AI has gone beyond that category. He explained, "The invention of AI is completely different from previous scientific revolutions. If you think humans can control it like previous inventions, you do not understand AI at all," adding, "It's like releasing independent agents with advanced intelligence into the world."

Yuval Harari expressed concern about the rapid development of AI without adequate preparation for its risks. While all human inventions so far have been 'tools' used by humans, AI has gone beyond that category.

Despite these risks, he cited 'mutual human distrust' as the reason why global big tech companies are so focused on AI development. He said that all the big tech CEOs he met personally are concerned about the risks of AI, but still, they say, "We can't trust our human competitors. If we lose in the competition, they will rule the world," expressing their anxiety. He added, "They can't trust other humans, but they say they can trust alien-like AI."

Yuval Harari emphasized the necessity of controlling AI. He said, "Information technology is more advanced than ever in human history, but communication between people has become more difficult," pointing out that "chatbots or algorithms on social media intentionally spread fake news, undermining human trust."

Regarding the recent martial law situation in Korea, he said, "At first, I thought there had been a coup in North Korea and thought, 'Finally,'" adding that even if it happened in South Korea, it would not be so surprising. He explained, "Historically, in democracies, there have been far more coups by ruling parties' loyalists," and "Many dictators initially seized power using the law, but later destroyed the law to maintain their power." While Yuval Harari was cautious, saying he does not know much about the Korean situation, he analyzed, "Historically, dictators have destroyed the press and the courts. In such situations, even elections become meaningless."

He also pointed out the situation where politics is changing like a reality show. He said, "Algorithms have no interest in the truth. They only try to increase user engagement by provoking anger, greed, and fear," and diagnosed that this aspect is also evident in political news. Photo by Yonhap News

He also pointed out that politics is changing to resemble a reality show. He said, "Algorithms are not interested in the truth. They only seek to increase user engagement by provoking anger, greed, and fear," diagnosing that this is also evident in political news. He mentioned that when former US President Trump met with Ukrainian President Zelensky, he said, "This will make great TV. I guarantee it," and commented, "Politicians' words are increasingly becoming more shocking to people. It's not politics anymore, it's a reality show."

However, he advised not to be afraid of AI. If used in a positive direction, the advantages of new technology can be utilized effectively. He then recommended an information diet. "Even if food is good, overeating is not healthy. With information, you have to be mindful of when, where, what, and how much you consume, and make sure to take time to digest it afterward," he emphasized.

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