AI Era Ushers in Need to Redesign Social Safety Nets

As the AI era shakes the value of labor and the crisis of regional extinction becomes visible, discussions on designing new social safety nets to ensure life's sustainability are gaining momentum. Diagnoses suggest that existing cash-based approaches are limited in addressing the deepening inequality and weakening individual autonomy caused by AI. OpenAI CEO has also stated that cash handouts alone are insufficient to meet society's fundamental needs.

In response to these changes, political circles are advocating for a welfare system focused on 'opportunities' and 'assets,' rather than simple cash. This includes proposals for future technology vouchers or targeted support linked to asset formation and entrepreneurship. Arguments are gaining traction that essential life domains such as housing, healthcare, and mobility rights should be defined as 'basic rights,' and related infrastructure should be directly provided, going beyond income security. The logic that regions with weak foundations for self-reliance require a more robust and impactful 'customized welfare system' than mere cash handouts is becoming persuasive.

These concepts are being concretized through South Korea's local government 'Basic Society' projects. Gyeongsangbuk-do Province has proposed a model that revitalizes closed schools and vacant homes into care and cultural hubs. Siheung City is building a safety net that takes responsibility for citizens' overall lives by combining a local currency-based basic income with universal services like 'Anyone Care' and 'Siheung Pass+'. Siheung City and Gyeongsangbuk-do are jointly pursuing an 'energy virtuous cycle' model, which is gaining attention as an alternative that ensures stable income rights by distributing renewable energy profits to residents.

The skepticism from global leaders and the concrete blueprints from domestic local governments converge on the recognition that past selective welfare systems cannot cope with the upcoming paradigm shift. Some proposals connect citizens with 'intangible asset rights' like technology, while others return 'tangible asset rights' in the form of regional spaces and energy to residents. Although their approaches differ, they all aim for 'self-reliant systems' where citizens are directly connected to the sources of social wealth, moving beyond simple distribution. Discussions on future social safety nets continue amidst the realities of AI development and the crisis of regional extinction.