NAFI

The forum centered on “Strengthening Manufacturing Competitiveness in the Era of Physical AI,” and featured keynote remarks, presentations, and a panel discussion.

In his opening address, Kim Kisik, President of the National Assembly Futures Institute, stated that “Securing the global competitiveness of Korea’s manufacturing industry has become a national imperative amid the great transformation of the world economic order and ongoing geopolitical crises.” He emphasized that “the era of Physical AI—where artificial intelligence converges with the physical world—represents a fundamental shift in the industrial ecosystem, and innovation through Physical AI is not a choice but a strategy necessary for survival.”

Jang Youngjae, Professor at KAIST, delivered a presentation titled “Building a Manufacturing Ecosystem through Physical AI.” He explained that “Physical AI refers to intelligence that understands and interprets the physical world in its spatial and temporal context, simulating human spatial-temporal cognition. It goes beyond information processing to realize ‘intelligence in motion.’” He added that “unlike conventional IT-based AI, the advancement of Physical AI requires an ecosystem grounded in hardware.”

Min Jungguk, Vice President at Hyundai Motor Group, presented “Manufacturing Innovation through Physical AI: Strategies and Applications.” He remarked that “the automotive industry is evolving from electric vehicles to software-defined vehicles (SDVs),” and explained that “Hyundai is pursuing the development of an ‘intelligent autonomous factory’—capable of continuous, self-optimized operation 24 hours a day, seven days a week—using data and AI as part of its core survival strategy.”

In the panel discussion that followed the presentations, National Assembly members Park Minkyu (Democratic Party of Korea), Choi Hyungdu (People Power Party), and Lee Haimin (Rebuilding Korea Party) joined government officials from the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, representatives from industry and academia, and Lee Seunghwan, Research Fellow at the National Assembly Futures Institute, to exchange views on strategies for enhancing manufacturing competitiveness in the era of Physical AI.

In addition to the panelists, National Assembly members Lee Chulgyu, Chair of the Trade, Industry, Energy, SMEs, and Startups Committee, and An Hoyoung, Chair of the Environment and Labor Committee, also attended the forum to extend their congratulations.​​