Seoul to hold event offering glimpse into fully automated city

A promotional poster for the "Smart Life Week 2026" expo / Courtesy of Seoul Metropolitan Government

As the world’s major metropolises struggle to modernize aging public infrastructure and streamline civil services, Korea’s capital is accelerating its push to integrate artificial intelligence directly into the urban environment. The Seoul Metropolitan Government opened pre-registration, Monday, for Smart Life Week 2026, a global tech exposition designed to show how machine intelligence is moving out of server farms and into city streets.

Scheduled for Oct. 6 to 8 at the COEX convention center in southern Seoul, the third annual event focuses heavily on physical artificial intelligence (AI) — the deployment of AI inside autonomous robots, public transit systems and civil infrastructure. Co-hosted alongside the World Smart City Organization (WeGO) and organized by the Seoul AI Foundation, the gathering aims to build upon last year’s turnout, which drew more than 60,000 visitors, 330 companies, and representatives from 130 international cities.

This year’s showcase, themed "Where AI Meets Life, Cities Become Better," reflects Seoul’s broader ambition to establish itself as a living laboratory for civic automation. Marc Raibert, the founder of the pioneering U.S. robotics firm Boston Dynamics, is slated to deliver the opening keynote, addressing how quadrupedal and humanoid robots are poised to transform public administration and municipal life.

Rather than relying solely on conventional trade show booths, the event will feature interactive showrooms modeled after eight iconic local landmarks, including the historic Gwanghwamun Plaza, Han River parks and Dongdaemun Design Plaza. These installations will demonstrate practical urban applications for AI, ranging from automated public safety monitoring and elderly caregiving to intelligent traffic management and civic education.

A centerpiece of the gathering, the Seoul AI Robot Show, will highlight hands-on demonstrations from domestic startups, established technology conglomerates and active public-sector robot deployments already operating across the capital.

By opening free registration for global attendees, municipal leaders are positioning Seoul not merely as a buyer of new technologies, but as an operational blueprint for the AI-integrated cities of the near future.

This article was published with the assistance of generative AI and edited by The Korea Times.