INTERVIEW 'AI mastering countries will rule world': Yuval Noah Harari

‘Sapiens’ author warns of violent conflict between two Koreas

By Kang Seung-woo

Yuval Noah Harari

Countries that master artificial intelligence (AI) and biotechnology will outrun other countries and eventually dominate the world, said Yuval Noah Harari, the author of bestsellers “Sapiens” and “Homo Deus.”

“I can say that AI is likely to be the most important factor in the economic developments of the coming decades. It will change almost every industry and profession, be it transportation, healthcare, education or the military,” he said.

Harari said AI will eventually replace or augment human drivers, doctors, teachers and soldiers. “AI might even begin to replace human artists, as it learns how to detect and manipulate human emotions.”

The world-renowned author said countries mastering AI would rule the world in the not-so-distant future as those creating steam engines did for the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century.

The potential power of AI and biotechnology is far greater than the power of steam engines and the telegraph, he said.

He said a small number of countries are leading the revolution in AI and biotechnology, while most countries remain behind.

“It is very likely that the countries who master AI and biotechnology will completely dominate the world. This time those left behind will probably never get a chance to close the gap,” he said. “For the power of AI and biotechnology will make it possible to start engineering and producing bodies, brains and minds.”

Violent conflicts on Korean Peninsula

The Israeli historian said the two Koreas now run the risk of facing violent conflict, said Harari.

He attributed the seriousness of the situation to the unpredictability of U.S. President Donald Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un. The latter has fired missiles and threatens to carry out nuclear tests, while the former vows not to sit by idly.

“Given the unpredictable and impulsive character of both the Trump administration and the Kim regime in North Korea, I am afraid that the danger of violent conflict on the Korean Peninsula today is considerably higher than it was before,” he said.

Harari said nowhere are the promises and dangers of 21st century technology clearer than on the Korean Peninsula.

“During the past decades Koreans have used the same technologies to create radically different societies in the North and South,” he said. “The South is now a vibrant liberal democracy, while the North is a poor and ruthless dictatorship. The differences between them are so big, that they can be seen even from outer space.”

A famous satellite image shows the Korean Peninsula at night, with South Korea appearing as a sea of light, while North Korea is enshrouded in darkness, he said.

“The meeting point of these two radically different societies is among the most explosive fault-lines in the world,” he said. “The peninsula totters on the brink of a nuclear war, reminding us of technology’s power to threaten the very existence of our species.”