Driverless robotaxis to hit Seoul streets this year in ‘physical AI’ push

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon speaks during the AI Seoul conference at COEX in southern Seoul, Friday. Newsis

Korea’s first fully driverless robotaxis will begin operating on Seoul streets later this year as the city pushes to become a leader in “physical” artificial intelligence (AI) embedded in real-world spaces like roads, buildings and public infrastructure.

At this year’s AI Seoul conference at COEX on Friday, Mayor Oh Se-hoon positioned Seoul as a global testbed for AI in the built environment rather than only on screens. He said the city government will use large-scale urban pilots to demonstrate how the technology can be used to improve people’s lives in everyday settings.

“Technology should ultimately be directed toward people, and the ‘leading physical AI city’ that Seoul envisions is one where the coldest technology brings about the warmest change,” Oh said. “Seoul is now fully set to begin a journey to become the global hub and benchmark for physical AI.”

Oh presented a three-part strategy for that vision. First, starting this October, Korea’s first Level 4 robotaxis will begin operating in Seoul, making it the world's third city to adopt the technology. Level 4 means the car can drive itself without human intervention within certain conditions or areas.

Also, a total of 18 semi-autonomous (Level 3) buses will be operating on routes across Seoul by the end of this year.

The second pillar is the “Seoul Physical AI Belt,” expanding the existing Yangjae AI cluster, where more than 400 AI startups and research centers are based, and creating a robot-focused cluster around Suseo Station.

The Seoul Metropolitan Government plans to begin the expansion in 2028. The robot venture town, which would include research centers and a theme park, is expected to be completed in 2030, it added.

The goal is to turn Seoul into an “industrial city that grows through physical AI,” not just a city that hosts it, according to officials.

By 2030, the city government will invest 70 billion won ($49 million) to accelerate physical AI research and development, and establish a 150‑billion‑won “Vision 2030 Fund” to nurture promising firms in the field. The idea is to back both core technologies and startups that can turn them into real services and products.

An AI-powered robot is displayed at COEX in southern Seoul, Friday. Newsis

On the ground, physical AI will be embedded across city infrastructure and operations, from advanced mobility services like traffic control and disaster response to underground logistics delivery systems and energy management. Under this plan, Seoul aims to become a robot‑friendly, high‑tech logistics city, while also forming partnerships with leading cities in AI, such as New York, Paris and Shanghai.

To address care gaps caused by an aging population, the city also plans to supplement human services with physical AI. It will expand the use of rehabilitation and walking-assistance robots, as well as wearable robots that enhance strength, while also improving safety infrastructure by deploying AI-powered fire patrol robots and drones for inspections.

Also, to raise public awareness of the technology and its potential, officials will host events such as “Seoul AI Festa,” planned for late February, and “Seoul Robot Show,” scheduled for October.

At this year’s CES in Las Vegas, from Jan. 6 to 9, physical AI was pushed into the spotlight, with humanoid robots performing sophisticated tasks. At the event, NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang declared that the “ChatGPT moment for physical AI has arrived.”