Lee Jae-myung, the Democratic Party of Korea presidential candidate, and Lee Jun-seok, the Reform Party presidential candidate, clashed over AI (artificial intelligence) nurturing plans and Lee Jae-myung's so-called 'hotel economy theory.'
Lee Jun-seok pointed out during the 'Free Debate' of the 21st presidential election candidate debate hosted by the National Election Broadcasting Debate Commission that Lee Jae-myung's economic policy funding plan is insufficient, launching a targeted attack.
He said, "Lee Jae-myung talks about many policies, but he will say, 'We can make it work if we just spend money.' The crucial question is whether the finances can bear it, and every time reporters ask about this, he often responds, 'I will look into it after being in power,' which makes me think there are some unrealistic aspects."
He further noted, "You said you would implement AI for the whole nation, but what exactly do you plan to do? If we look at established services like ChatGPT, providing accounts to the entire population would require a budget close to 12 trillion won, and if you plan to build a self-sufficient AI, it could be an unprecedented undertaking globally, but one might also argue that the Korean IT industry could become 'Galapagos.'"
In response, Lee Jae-myung said, "I think you are viewing this too pessimistically. Right now, we are using ChatGPT for about $22 in euros. If we develop an independent LLM based on national data, it will incur significant expenses during the development phase. So, we have more work to do. We will focus on development so that citizens can use ChatGPT for free, at least as easily as they use calculators. It won't necessarily cost 12 trillion won or anything like that."
Lee Jun-seok asked, "Will there be a bidding process for who will lead the development?" to which Lee Jae-myung replied, "We will create a research and development budget, and joint development can be done in collaboration with private corporations."
Lee Jun-seok asked, "If there are three AI systems developed, will we select one?" to which Lee Jae-myung replied, "We can research together collaboratively."
Lee Jun-seok also mentioned Lee Jae-myung's controversial 'hotel economics' and asked, "Was it designed to leverage the multiplier effect?" Lee Jae-myung retorted, "That is a term he made up, referring to the multiplier effect. It depends on whether it is used once, twice, or thrice; it circulates accordingly." Lee Jun-seok pressed, "If money does not disappear and starts from 1, isn't it infinite power?" to which Lee Jae-myung responded, "Why is it so simplistic?"
Lee Jun-seok asked again, "I heard about the plan to extend the retirement age, but won't that harm job opportunities for younger generations?" To this, Lee Jae-myung responded, "I find it hard to agree on that point. The increase in jobs for older generations does not necessarily align with job opportunities for younger generations."
In response, Lee Jun-seok said, "If you keep answering like this, I don't understand what kind of debate we are having," and Lee Jae-myung countered, "It's too extreme."