The Ministry of Science and ICT announced on July 30 that it held an on-site meeting to secure core technological competitiveness in domestic physical artificial intelligence (AI) and to identify support measures for industry-academia-research collaboration.
Ryu Jemyung, the Second Vice Minister of the Ministry of Science and ICT, attended the meeting, which was held in the afternoon at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Jung-gu, Seoul.
Physical AI refers to AI that can interact with the physical world and act proactively in real-world settings like humans. It makes decisions and takes action directly based on real-world information. Representative examples of physical AI include humanoid robots that behave like humans and autonomous vehicles.
During the meeting, participants discussed ways to secure competitiveness in physical AI, which is emerging as a core technology in the AI era, as well as strategies to rapidly establish an industrial expansion base.
The meeting began with a presentation by Kim Wook, Innovation and Global PM at the Institute for Information & Communications Technology Planning & Evaluation (IITP), who provided an overview of physical AI and the status of the global market. MaumAI gave a presentation on comprehensive support measures needed to foster physical AI, including research and development, demonstration, and talent cultivation. Jang Youngjae, a professor at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), gave a presentation on domestic and international research trends in physical AI.
In the subsequent discussion, representatives from industry, academia, and experts engaged in a debate on strategies to foster physical AI.
Vice Minister Ryu stated, "Physical AI is a next-generation, general-purpose AI technology that can innovate not only manufacturing and logistics, but also agriculture, healthcare, and defense, transforming both our daily lives and industries. To become one of the top three AI powers, it is important to promote convergence and expansion in key sectors such as manufacturing, together with physical AI." He added, "We will work closely with the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy and other relevant ministries to ensure that convergence and synergy between the AI sector and the manufacturing industry can be effectively achieved."
Previously, Vice Minister Ryu expressed his intention to increase support for physical AI. On July 18, he attended an event at the National Assembly and stated in his congratulatory remarks, "Physical AI is attracting attention as a game changer in future AI technology following generative AI," adding that the government plans to begin full-scale 'priming investments.'
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Science and ICT has been holding a series of relay meetings every week to listen to opinions from the field, including those from industry, academia, and research, and to identify policy support measures.
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