We need a new Socrates, Mencius and Jeong Yak-yong for the AI era
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) heralds a transformation unparalleled in human history. While technological progress has consistently improved human life, the shift triggered by AI goes far beyond the evolution of mere tools. It marks a turning point at which the very definition of human existence may be reshaped. We stand at the threshold of an era whose ultimate consequences remain difficult even to imagine.
On the optimistic side, AI-driven gains in productivity could liberate humanity from repetitive, dehumanizing labor. A future may be approaching in which life is no longer centered on work for survival, but instead on creativity, contemplation, relationships and reflection. The prospect of greater leisure and a more dignified human existence is undeniably compelling.
Yet the opposite scenario — a digital dystopia — remains a very real possibility. As AI replaces human labor on an unprecedented scale, the “utility” of the individual may erode, pushing large segments of society into economic and social marginalization as so-called surplus humans.
More troubling still is the risk that humans could become dependent on, controlled by or even subordinate to AI systems. The moment AI ceases to serve as a tool and begins to exert dominance over its creators, civilization itself may veer toward a darker and fundamentally altered destination.
Compounding this danger is the concentration of power in the hands of a small number of Big Tech companies and their executives, who are driving the global AI race while the rest of humanity remain largely passive observers. This competition is unfolding as a winner-take-all struggle among a few dominant platforms, with national borders offering little protection against its global spillover effects.
We must soberly confront the possibility that the overriding objective of these actors may be profit maximization and market dominance, with the common good of humanity pushed to the margins.
Under no circumstances should human dignity be compromised. Human beings must remain ends in themselves, not merely means to efficiency or productivity. If this principle collapses, technological progress will inevitably lead to human regression.
Safeguarding human dignity, however, requires more than regulation alone. Laws and institutions are necessary, but they are ill-equipped to withstand the tsunami-like speed and scale of change brought by the AI era. Incremental policy responses cannot match the magnitude of the challenge.
What we urgently need is a new philosophy and a new social framework — one fit for the digital age — to ensure that AI-driven change is guided by humanity’s best interests and shaped through the broadest possible participation of society.
Throughout history, humanity has navigated great transitions through the insights of transformative thinkers. Socrates exposed human ignorance through relentless questioning; Mencius emphasized humanity’s innate goodness and moral responsibility; and Jeong Yak-yong pursued practical reform grounded in ethical systems. Today, we need a new Socrates, a new Mencius and a new Jeong Yak-yong to help chart the future course of AI development.
We can no longer postpone the task of constructing an AI-era framework that addresses human dignity, labor and distribution, power and responsibility. AI-driven change will be far faster and more disruptive than the Industrial Revolution. Our depth of thought and level of social preparedness must therefore be equally profound.
This undertaking does not belong to philosophers alone. It demands collective intelligence — drawing on social scientists, ethicists, economists, labor experts and the media. Governments, too, must move beyond the role of technical regulators and become catalysts for forging a new philosophical and social consensus.
Preserving what it means to be human in the age of AI is not a matter of choice. It is the minimum condition for the survival of human civilization — and for its prosperity in the AI era. It is also our solemn responsibility to the generations that follow.
Oh Young-jin is president and publisher of The Korea Times.