Incheon Unveils 'Human-Centered AI Coexistence City' Vision... Physical and Manufacturing AI as Core Pillars

On August 4, the city of Incheon announced its 'Incheon AI Innovation Vision' at the Incheon Startup Park Connect Hall and signed a business agreement among six related organizations to create Incheon as a city of AI coexistence.

The organizations participating in the agreement included the Incheon Free Economic Zone Authority, Incheon Technopark, Korea Institute of Industrial Technology, Korea Physical AI Association, and Namdong National Industrial Complex Managers' Association. Approximately 150 people attended the event, including representatives from related companies, institutions, universities, research institutes, and citizens.

Mayor Yoo Jeongbok presented the Incheon AI Innovation Vision as a 'human-centered AI coexistence city,' based on the philosophy that "artificial intelligence (AI) must be technology for people." He identified physical AI, manufacturing AI, and AI robotics as the core technologies.

Incheon Mayor Yoo Jeongbok is announcing the 'Incheon AI Innovation Vision' at Incheon Startup Park on the 4th. Incheon City

Incheon, as a manufacturing-based city, possesses a vast amount of manufacturing data. It also has the advantage of experience in building national smart cities and its location as a global hub connected through airports and ports. Based on these strengths, the city aims to drive innovation through 'physical AI,' which has a tangible presence. Physical AI refers to next-generation AI embedded in real-world hardware such as humanoid robots or autonomous vehicles, capable of perceiving situations and performing tasks independently.

To promote the convergence of physical AI technology with the region's strategic industries, the city plans to establish a physical AI innovation ecosystem and actively support the materials, parts, and equipment (so-bu-jang) industry and talent development in cooperation with local industrial complexes and universities.

In particular, to attract AI researchers from around the world to settle in Incheon and foster AI convergence talent, the city is also pursuing the 'Incheon AI Workation' project and the creation of a 100 billion won AI Innovation Fund. Workation is a compound word of 'work' and 'vacation,' referring to a new work style that allows people to enjoy both work and vacation simultaneously in resort or travel destinations.

The city is also pushing for a major AI-driven transformation of the manufacturing industry. To transition beyond traditional smart factories to AI factories, Incheon will establish basic infrastructure and solutions, introduce autonomous robots, and automate logistics with AI. The city plans to discover leading Incheon-style AX (AI transformation) cases, aiming to become the most advanced manufacturing AI innovation hub. Furthermore, the city aspires to apply AI across all aspects of daily life?including leisure, welfare, transportation, healthcare, education, and administration?to achieve comprehensive urban innovation.

An Incheon city official stated, "We plan to form consultative bodies such as the 'Incheon AI Alliance' and establish concrete implementation strategies to realize a 'human-centered AI coexistence city.' We will lay a solid foundation so that Incheon can emerge as a globally recognized AI innovation city in this era of AI-driven transformation."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.