"In the AI Era, for the 5060 Generation, 'Irrelevance' is Scarier Than 'Replacement'"... Author Lee Si-han Explains the Reality of Retirement Anxiety

As the rapid advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology reshapes the overall structure of society, the nature of the anxiety felt by the 5060 generation is changing compared to the past. Analysis suggests that beyond the fear of "replacement"—simply losing jobs—there is growing anxiety regarding "irrelevance" (無關), being completely alienated from social trends.

In a video released on the Finance with Toad Tax Accountant YouTube channel, author Lee Si-han defined the identity of the anxiety faced by the 5060 generation as "doubts about one's own utility (usefulness)." Lee explained, "One may feel as though the context of the knowledge and experience accumulated over 30 to 40 years can collapse in an instant due to AI," adding, "There is a great identity crisis when the results researched by a new employee using AI are no different from the knowledge of an existing expert."

In particular, Lee distinguished the core of the anxiety felt by those in their 50s and older into "replacement" and "irrelevance." He noted that up until the 50s, there is room to respond by worrying about tasks being replaced by AI, but after the 60s, people fear the state of "irrelevance," where they are disconnected from social trends. He pointed out, "You can somehow fight against replacement, but with irrelevance, you cannot even fight because it is a form of total disconnection."

As a solution, Lee emphasized "breathing" with AI by actively utilizing it. Considering that the average retirement age in South Korea is 49.6, he judged that it would be very difficult to continue economic activities independently of AI during the approximately 20-year period remaining until the actual retirement age in the early 70s. Lee advised, "You must try using AI directly and find your own customized ways to utilize it," and "If you can handle AI well, you can become a great advisor in investment or other fields."

In the Era of Democratization of Intelligence, the Core Competency is the 'Power of Connection'

He also mentioned the phenomenon of the "democratization of intelligence," where the level of individual intelligence is being standardized upward due to AI technology. In the past, a high IQ was a major variable determining work performance, but now, anyone can produce high-level intellectual output through AI. Lee compared this to the "democratization of power (the distribution of equipment such as forklifts)" and analyzed that in an era where intelligence has become common, the key is how to combine individual intelligences.

Lee emphasized, "As intelligence rises and the things individuals can do increase, the 'power of connection'—connecting and controlling these elements—will become the greatest competency," adding, "This power of connection ultimately comes from people who take responsibility and build trust." This suggests that leadership in the AI era is shifting from mere possession of knowledge to the ability to integrate distributed intelligence.