A senior presidential policy adviser in South Korea has floated the idea of a “citizen dividend” funded by excess tax revenue tied to soaring AI profits, according to Bloomberg News.
Kim Yong-beom, policy chief to President Lee Jae Myung, said in a Facebook post that part of the wealth generated by the AI infrastructure era should be “structurally returned to all citizens.” He suggested the government could use excess tax revenue from AI-driven corporate profits to support pensions, education, startups and artists.
The comments triggered sharp swings in South Korean markets this week while shares of Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix fell after investors worried the government could impose windfall-style taxes on AI winners.
Kim later clarified that he was not proposing a new corporate windfall tax. Still, the episode highlights growing global pressure on governments and companies to address how AI wealth is distributed as chipmakers and infrastructure firms post record profits from surging demand for AI computing.