Science ministry official calls physical AI a pillar of Korea's future

The science ministry's second vice minister said Tuesday that physical AI is one of three mega-projects that will shape South Korea's future, alongside semiconductors and artificial intelligence data centers, and called for tight cooperation between industry, universities and research institutes to secure the technology.

Speaking at Physical AI Tech Day at Coex in Seoul, Ryu Je-myung said the field is "a core technology of the artificial intelligence transformation that raises productivity and safety and creates new products and services across industries such as manufacturing, logistics, agriculture, medical care and mobility," according to the Ministry of Science and ICT.

The event was part of Physical AI Tech Week, which the ministry opened at the same venue the previous day under the theme "Intelligence into Action." Ryu said physical AI "cannot be completed by any single technology or company," adding that the three-way collaboration is essential, and that the government would actively support bringing promising technologies beyond research and development to on-site demonstration and commercialization.

The topic drew researchers and industry figures from home and abroad. Keynote speakers included Byeonggon Jeon, chief executive of FriendliAI; Sangbae Kim, a professor at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology; and Gyu Bin Lee of the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology.

In the afternoon, a "physical AI talk concert" was held for students, businesspeople and researchers, addressing the concept and value of physical AI and the goals of state research and development at a level accessible to the general public.

After the opening ceremony, Ryu toured a technology exhibition at the venue, examining AI semiconductors, data, AI-driven factory optimization and collaborative and humanoid robots displayed by domestic companies and research institutes.