"Data Accumulation Is the Key to Widespread Robotics and AI Advancement"

Choi Jonghyun Academic Foundation and Korea Higher Education Foundation
Host "SF, Robots, and Humans" Lecture on the 29th
Presentations by Kim Joungho of UIUC and Others

Professor Kim Joungho of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) emphasized the need for the widespread adoption of robots in everyday life, stating, "Robots must become integrated into daily life for data to accumulate, and this accumulation drives the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics."

On the 29th, during a special lecture titled "SF, Robots, and Humans," jointly hosted by the Choi Jonghyun Academic Foundation and the Korea Higher Education Foundation at the foundation's conference hall in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, Professor Kim made these remarks. He pointed out that, unlike industrial robots that can easily accumulate data, household robots are not widely adopted, resulting in a severe lack of training data.

On the 29th, Professor Kim Joungho from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) gave a presentation at the 'Science+α Convergence Talk' lecture jointly hosted by the Choi Jonghyun Academic Foundation and the Korea Higher Education Foundation, held at the Korea Higher Education Foundation building in Gangnam-gu. Provided by the Choi Jonghyun Academic Foundation

With experience at Disney Research, the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute, and Samsung Electronics, Professor Kim is currently leading "KIMLAB" at UIUC, where he conducts next-generation robotics research. In his lecture, he introduced cases such as bringing animated characters to life as actual robots during his time at Disney Research, as well as the evolution of humanoid technology.

He shared his experience developing a robot inspired by Olaf from the animated film "Frozen," which can move even if its legs are detached, and explained how he applied the abilities of Nico Robin from the Japanese comic "One Piece" to create modular robotic arms that can be attached to household appliances and furniture. Professor Kim said, "It is difficult to engineer the imagination of artists, but it opens up new possibilities for robotics," adding, "Turning the imagination from comics and movies into reality is the true challenge for roboticists."

The second speaker, Kim Youngjae, Principal Research Fellow at LG Electronics HS Research Center, identified the turning point for the popularization of robots as the automation of household chores. He emphasized, "The market will only open if robots can perform the tasks people dislike most-such as dishwashing, laundry, and cleaning-at a reasonable price," highlighting that automating the 'last one meter,' such as washing-drying-folding and dishwashing-organizing, is the key.

Research Fellow Kim also identified "free will" as the fundamental difference between humans and robots. He stated, "AI and robots will replace many areas of human activity, but the final treasure of free will remains with humans," adding, "The future of society depends on how we choose to embrace AI and robots."