Rethinking the role of the state in the age of AI
Published: 14 May. 2025, 00:01
Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI
Yeom Jae-ho
The author is the president of Taejae University and vice chair of the Presidential Committee on AI.
In "Against the Grain," Yale political scientist James C. Scott challenges the widely accepted narrative that human life improved after the shift from hunting to settled agriculture. While farming brought a stable food supply and allowed for the development of large societies, Scott argues that it also led to social inequality and exploitation. As states emerged to manage growing populations and collect taxes, ruling elites formed, embedding systems of control and hierarchy. Similarly, historian Yuval Noah Harari, author of "Sapiens," contends that the agrarian revolution did not necessarily make life better than in the hunter-gatherer era.
![ARM CEO Rene Haas and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attend an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 3. [REUTERS/YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/14/f23d5a94-8db5-404a-be47-7f2035993869.jpg)
These arguments prompt a fundamental question: What is the state today, and does it still enhance our lives? Around the world, democracy faces increasing pressure, and artificial intelligence is transforming every aspect of society. In this moment of civilizational shift, we must ask whether the 20th-century model of an ever-expanding state remains relevant in the 21st.
The modern state, as we know it, was forged during the industrial era. The early 20th century saw a rise in mass production, economies of scale and the growth of bureaucracies to manage increasingly complex societies. While these systems brought economic gains, they also marginalized inefficient labor, contributing to widespread unemployment and the Great Depression. In response, governments embraced Keynesian economics, using aggressive fiscal policies to stimulate demand and expand their role in managing national economies.
Europe moved toward social democracy, where the state pledged to care for citizens from cradle to grave. Government grew not only in size but also in scope, intervening in nearly all areas of life. But this expansion begs the question: Are today’s political leaders and bureaucrats operating the state efficiently and fairly?
The answer becomes more urgent in the age of artificial intelligence. AI has dramatically altered how people live, work and interact. Individuals now function beyond the boundaries of the nation-state, identifying as global citizens. AI allows people to transcend the limits of time and space, and enhances individual autonomy. Diversity flourishes, and personal freedom grows. Meanwhile, states are becoming increasingly inefficient, with bloated bureaucracies imposing uniform rules that often stifle innovation and reinforce authoritarian tendencies.
![Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, poses for photos during a campaign rally at a venue in Daejeon on May 12. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/14/8220ff69-582e-4956-a54e-553d49090ca5.jpg)
As national economies expand, so do state budgets. Tax revenues increase, but so does wasteful public spending. In Korea, the imbalance is striking. Between 1988 — the beginning of the Sixth Republic — and 2024, the country’s GDP increased ninefold. Yet government spending grew 39 times, and national debt surged by a factor of 63. In 2024, the government budget amounted to 25.7 percent of GDP. The average salary of a large company employee now exceeds 100 million won, but nearly half that income is consumed by value-added tax, income tax and health insurance premiums.
The government's role has expanded even into traditionally private areas, such as personal compensation and subsidies, blurring the boundaries between public responsibility and individual autonomy. The line separating the public and private spheres is fading, and not always for the better.
A telling anecdote comes from Japanese politician Ichiro Ozawa. In his book "Blueprint for Japan’s Renewal," Ozawa recalls being startled during a visit to the Grand Canyon, where he saw a couple sitting on the edge of a cliff. His first reaction was concern: what if they slipped? In Japan, he noted, such an incident would trigger legal responsibility for park officials. In the United States, however, the assumption is that individuals are responsible for their own choices. Ozawa argued that in times of financial crisis, Japan should emphasize individual accountability rather than relying on state intervention.
![People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo appeals for support from citizens during a campaign rally at Seomun Market in Daegu on May 12. [JOONGANG ILBO]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/14/16eef0ba-1fed-45b6-958d-b18055512937.jpg)
The global shift toward individual responsibility is becoming more pronounced. In "Forecast of the Era," author and digital media analyst Song Gil-young describes the arrival of the “nuclear individual” age. We’ve moved beyond the nuclear family to a society where individual identity and autonomy are paramount. As AI becomes more embedded in everyday life, it enlarges the scope of personal freedom. People can live more personalized lives, less constrained by group norms or government regulation.
Yet the state continues to intervene. Many young Koreans, for example, question why they must register their marriages with the government. They see marriage and divorce as personal decisions, and wonder why the state needs to be involved. This sentiment reflects a broader discomfort with state intrusion into private life.
In Korea’s ongoing discussions about constitutional reform, much attention has been given to curbing presidential powers. But a deeper problem lies in how political factions, once in office, wield state finances as tools for advancing their own agendas. Because control over public resources brings enormous power, politics has become a zero-sum game, with parties on both sides of the spectrum competing aggressively for control of the state. The pursuit of government power is often less about public service and more about political gain.
![Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok delivers a speech at a campaign kickoff event in Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul, on May 12, the first day of official campaigning for the presidential election. [YONHAP]](https://koreajoongangdaily.joins.com/data/photo/2025/05/14/2482f5a3-d012-4659-8f62-6d8de9397d46.jpg)
In the age of AI, we cannot afford a state that continues to expand without limits, directing the lives of individuals and dictating the direction of private enterprise. The state should exist to serve its citizens — not the other way around. A new model is needed: one that embraces a smaller, smarter, more flexible government. This is the only path forward for Korea to become an advanced society in the AI era.
The nation must be reimagined not as a monolithic system of control but as a platform for enabling its people to live freely, creatively and responsibly. Only by embracing this shift can Korea remain competitive, democratic and relevant in the age of intelligent machines.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
The author is the president of Taejae University and vice chair of the Presidential Committee on AI.
In "Against the Grain," Yale political scientist James C. Scott challenges the widely accepted narrative that human life improved after the shift from hunting to settled agriculture. While farming brought a stable food supply and allowed for the development of large societies, Scott argues that it also led to social inequality and exploitation. As states emerged to manage growing populations and collect taxes, ruling elites formed, embedding systems of control and hierarchy. Similarly, historian Yuval Noah Harari, author of "Sapiens," contends that the agrarian revolution did not necessarily make life better than in the hunter-gatherer era.
ARM CEO Rene Haas and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman attend an event to pitch AI for businesses in Tokyo, Japan, on Feb. 3. [REUTERS/YONHAP]
The modern state, as we know it, was forged during the industrial era. The early 20th century saw a rise in mass production, economies of scale and the growth of bureaucracies to manage increasingly complex societies. While these systems brought economic gains, they also marginalized inefficient labor, contributing to widespread unemployment and the Great Depression. In response, governments embraced Keynesian economics, using aggressive fiscal policies to stimulate demand and expand their role in managing national economies.
Europe moved toward social democracy, where the state pledged to care for citizens from cradle to grave. Government grew not only in size but also in scope, intervening in nearly all areas of life. But this expansion begs the question: Are today’s political leaders and bureaucrats operating the state efficiently and fairly?
The answer becomes more urgent in the age of artificial intelligence. AI has dramatically altered how people live, work and interact. Individuals now function beyond the boundaries of the nation-state, identifying as global citizens. AI allows people to transcend the limits of time and space, and enhances individual autonomy. Diversity flourishes, and personal freedom grows. Meanwhile, states are becoming increasingly inefficient, with bloated bureaucracies imposing uniform rules that often stifle innovation and reinforce authoritarian tendencies.
Lee Jae-myung, presidential candidate of the Democratic Party, poses for photos during a campaign rally at a venue in Daejeon on May 12. [JOONGANG ILBO]
The government's role has expanded even into traditionally private areas, such as personal compensation and subsidies, blurring the boundaries between public responsibility and individual autonomy. The line separating the public and private spheres is fading, and not always for the better.
A telling anecdote comes from Japanese politician Ichiro Ozawa. In his book "Blueprint for Japan’s Renewal," Ozawa recalls being startled during a visit to the Grand Canyon, where he saw a couple sitting on the edge of a cliff. His first reaction was concern: what if they slipped? In Japan, he noted, such an incident would trigger legal responsibility for park officials. In the United States, however, the assumption is that individuals are responsible for their own choices. Ozawa argued that in times of financial crisis, Japan should emphasize individual accountability rather than relying on state intervention.
People Power Party presidential candidate Kim Moon-soo appeals for support from citizens during a campaign rally at Seomun Market in Daegu on May 12. [JOONGANG ILBO]
Yet the state continues to intervene. Many young Koreans, for example, question why they must register their marriages with the government. They see marriage and divorce as personal decisions, and wonder why the state needs to be involved. This sentiment reflects a broader discomfort with state intrusion into private life.
In Korea’s ongoing discussions about constitutional reform, much attention has been given to curbing presidential powers. But a deeper problem lies in how political factions, once in office, wield state finances as tools for advancing their own agendas. Because control over public resources brings enormous power, politics has become a zero-sum game, with parties on both sides of the spectrum competing aggressively for control of the state. The pursuit of government power is often less about public service and more about political gain.
Reform Party presidential candidate Lee Jun-seok delivers a speech at a campaign kickoff event in Cheonggye Plaza, central Seoul, on May 12, the first day of official campaigning for the presidential election. [YONHAP]
The nation must be reimagined not as a monolithic system of control but as a platform for enabling its people to live freely, creatively and responsibly. Only by embracing this shift can Korea remain competitive, democratic and relevant in the age of intelligent machines.
Translated from the JoongAng Ilbo using generative AI and edited by Korea JoongAng Daily staff.
with the Korea JoongAng Daily
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