The Future AI Mobility Summit 2026 in Seoul on Tuesday presented AI mobility as far more than autonomous vehicles or transport technology, portraying it instead as an industrial ecosystem spanning manufacturing, logistics, energy, data and international cooperation.
The summit, held under the slogan "Motion to Emotion," brought together policymakers, executives and researchers from Korea, China, India and the United Arab Emirates to discuss how artificial intelligence is reshaping the mobility value chain.
The first session, "EV-olution," focused on mobility services, transport policy and logistics. Metropolitan Transport Chairman Kim Yong-suk described mobility as core infrastructure affecting cities, safety and industrial competitiveness, while Kim Tae-hyung, chief director of the AI Mobility Technology Department at the Korea Transport Institute, argued that AI mobility data must move beyond research and into national-scale test beds and public services.
The discussion then broadened into international cooperation. Speakers highlighted opportunities for Korea and China to work together on electric vehicles, batteries, testing standards and mobility ecosystems as the industry becomes increasingly interconnected.
The second session, "Eco," shifted attention to the factories that will build the AI mobility era. Cho Young-hoon, president of the Korea Institute for Robot Industry Advancement, described the transition from conventional automation to physical AI and autonomous manufacturing, while Yang Hun-chul, chief technology officer at LS Group’s Gaon Cable, outlined how AI is being integrated into smart factories through production, logistics and quality-control data.
Manufacturing was repeatedly described as one of AI's most difficult frontiers, where algorithms must make decisions with immediate physical consequences in real-world environments.
The third session, "Energy," focused on the infrastructure demands created by AI itself. Choi Seung-ho, the CEO of financial technology company Enova, warned that future autonomy would depend as much on power and cooling infrastructure as on algorithms, while Stephen Kim, the CEO of AI solution provider DeltaX, presented next-generation energy storage technologies designed for AI data centers and renewable-linked facilities.
The summit concluded with discussions on India's emergence as an AI and energy market, with participants emphasizing that future competitiveness in mobility will depend not only on technology leadership but also on global partnerships and integrated industrial ecosystems.
shwang9@heraldcorp.com