--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The Korean government is the first to…" description: "\"The Korean government is the first to declare that if you replace people with machines you have to pay a tax. It's a tax on robots. They make private c..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/abhijit-banerjee-6074_computers_the-korean-government-is-the-first-to-de_2025091.jpg" --- # The Korean government is the first to declare that if you… ![“The Korean government is the first to declare that if you replace people with machines you have to pay a tax. It's a tax on robots. They make private companies internalise the social cost of unemployment. Social benefit is not the same as private benefit. We have to realise this.” quote by Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/abhijit-banerjee-6074_computers_the-korean-government-is-the-first-to-de_2025091.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/abhijit-banerjee-6074_computers_the-korean-government-is-the-first-to-de_2025091.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/879/abhijit-banerjee-6074_computers_the-korean-government-is-the-first-to-de_2025091.jpg) > “The Korean government is the first to declare that if you replace people with machines you have to pay a tax. It's a tax on robots. They make private companies internalise the social cost of unemployment. Social benefit is not the same as private benefit. We have to realise this.” [Abhijit Banerjee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abhijit-banerjee/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Robots that replace workers should be taxed to make companies bear unemployment costs, aligning private profit with social welfare. **In simple terms:** Tax robots to offset job loss costs. Key Takeaway Implement robot taxes. Themes economics policy technology labor taxation Mood concerned analytical Type policy economic When to use this quote - government budgeting - corporate strategy - labor negotiations - public debate - tax legislation Key Concepts externalities social cost automation income inequality Questions to Reflect On - How can we balance innovation with job protection? - What alternatives exist to robot taxes? A Different Perspective Tax may discourage beneficial automation or be hard to enforce. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Benefit Private](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/benefit-private-1635916/) [Computers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/computers/) [Government](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/government/) [Machines](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines/) [Machines Pay](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/machines-pay-3689374/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Politics](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/politics/) [Robots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/robots/) [Social Benefit](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/social-benefit-3689373/) [Tax Robots](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/tax-robots-3689371/) [Unemployment Social](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/unemployment-social-3689372/) ## Related quotes > [A moderate tax on robots, even a temporary tax that merely slows the adoption of disruptive technology, seems a natural component of a policy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-j-shiller/a-moderate-tax-on-robots-even-a-temporary-tax-that-merely-slows-the/) [Robert J. 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