Global tech leaders gather in Seoul as AI reshapes urban life
Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon, tenth from left in front row, poses with foreign mayors during the Mayors Forum, a side event of Smart Life Week 2025, at Coex in Seoul, Sept. 30, 2025. Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government
As artificial intelligence (AI) rapidly shifts from software interfaces into physical infrastructure and public administration, global municipal leaders and tech researchers are assembling in Korea to chart the future of urban governance.
The Seoul Metropolitan Government said Monday that Smart Life Week 2026 will host 18 international forums and conferences at the Coex convention center in Gangnam District from Oct. 6-8. Expanding on last year’s summit, the three-day gathering will feature over 300 speakers, including delegations from Tokyo, Naples, Manila and Granada, Alongside researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of Cambridge.
Central to this year’s agenda is the practical deployment of physical AI — embodying AI within quadrupeds, humanoid robotics and autonomous systems that navigate real-world city streets. On Oct. 7, the Mayors Forum will bring city leaders together for AI, Opening the City’s Next Chapter, framed by a keynote address from Vilas Dhar, president of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation, on building public trust through digital services. Participating mayors will conclude the session by signing a joint Smart City Vision Pledge.
In parallel, municipal chief digital officers will address cross-border data governance and digital inclusion during the Global CDO Forum. Other flagship sessions will focus on spatial intelligence, leveraging geographic information systems and digital twin modeling to fortify urban infrastructure against climate crises and natural disasters.
The initiative reflects Seoul’s push to export its municipal tech model while establishing international benchmarks for responsible automation.
"Smart Life Week brings together public policy, urban innovation, and emerging industries on a single stage," said Jung Young-jun, director general of the Digital City Bureau at the Seoul Metropolitan Government. "We will continue connecting Seoul’s technology with global urban experiences to lead trends in the AI era."
This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.