The forum was organized to examine the changes that artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies will bring to urban operations and citizens’ lives, and to share the latest technology trends and real-world application cases from the industry. Alongside this forum—co-hosted by the University of Seoul, the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Research Institute, and the Seoul AI Foundation—the “Smart Life Week” was also held in the exhibition halls (Halls A and B) on the first floor of COEX, featuring participation from over 500 cities and companies from Korea and abroad.
Under this year’s theme, “Think with Seoul AI Agents, Act with Physical AI,” approximately 20 domestic and international experts in the fields of AI, big data, and robotics participated as speakers and panelists to explore the potential for the development of physical AI and the direction of change for future cities. The experts focused particularly on the roles of AI agents—which analyze and make decisions based on data—and physical AI, which performs physical actions in the real world. A variety of opinions were also presented regarding the changes, technical challenges, and potential applications that will arise as AI technology expands beyond the digital realm into the real world.
Robotics engineer Professor Dennis Hong of UCLA, who delivered the keynote address, spoke on the topic “The Moment Intelligence Gains a Body: The Era of Physical Intelligence Pioneered by Humanoids.” He introduced the trend of AI evolving beyond the stage of analyzing data and making judgments to become “Physical AI” that acts directly in the real world through robots, as well as the potential for the development of humanoid robots. Other speakers—including Philip Gerard, Head of Nokia; Son Byung-hee, CEO of Maum AI; Ji Da-young, Senior Executive at Lotte Card; Yoo Eung-jun, Head of JOON AI; Takayuki Ito, Professor at Kyoto University in Japan; and Per-Ola Kristensson, Professor at the University of Cambridge in the UK—also took the stage to present the latest technology trends and industry-specific use cases, while sharing future development directions and challenges.
During the expert panel discussion and Q&A session that followed the presentations, speakers, panelists, and attendees exchanged diverse views on the impact of AI technology on cities, industries, and citizens’ lives, as well as future challenges. The event was hailed as a forum where representatives from academia, industry, and public institutions explored the future direction of urban development from their respective perspectives.
Won Yong-geol, President of the University of Seoul, stated, “This forum went beyond a mere academic event; it was a meaningful platform for exchange where we explored the future of cities shaped by data and AI and shared diverse ideas and perspectives.” He added, “Moving forward, we will continue to work with the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Research Institute, and the Seoul AI Foundation to envision a future where cities are more closely connected through data and AI, and we will maintain our ongoing cooperation and exchange.”
