How Will Personal Data Be Collected and Protected in Physical AI? The Personal Information Protection Commission Accelerates Regulatory Innovation

Visit to Hyundai Motor’s Uiwang Robotics Lab

Launch of Public-Private Council and Efforts for Special AI Legislation

The Personal Information Protection Commission is continuing its series of on-site meetings aimed at regulatory innovation in the physical AI industry and the establishment of a robust personal data protection framework. As new robotic technologies such as autonomous robots and AI-based video recognition are being actively introduced into daily life, the commission seeks to proactively identify and address regulatory challenges related to personal information.

Song Kyunghee, Chairperson of the Personal Information Protection Commission, is viewing exhibition items at the "On-site Meeting for Rationalizing Personal Information Regulations in the Autonomous Vehicle and Robotics Sector," held on the afternoon of January 23 at Hyundai Motorstudio in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province. Provided by the Personal Information Commission

On the morning of May 15, Chairperson Song Kyunghee and other members of the commission visited the Hyundai Motor Robotics Research Center in Gyeonggi Province. There, they observed demonstrations of robotics technologies and gathered on-site feedback to support the development of the related industry.

Specifically, at Hyundai Motor’s Robotics Lab, they witnessed demonstrations of cutting-edge robotics technologies, including wearable robots, autonomous driving platforms, parking robots, and automated electric vehicle charging robots. They received detailed explanations about the data processing procedures for information collected by robots through cameras and other sensors, and they examined the actual practices of personal data processing within the robotics industry.

During the subsequent meeting, employees in charge of robotics shared practical difficulties encountered on the ground. Representatives from Hyundai Motor explained that the collection and use of personal data, such as video information, is often unavoidable in the development and provision of autonomous driving systems. They expressed ongoing concerns from the industry regarding the practical challenges of obtaining prior consent for personal data collection, as well as the inefficiency caused by the difficulty in securing original data for AI model training.

The commission announced plans to strengthen various forms of support to ease on-site difficulties in the use of personal information. These include establishing a special AI law, providing guidelines for the use of pseudonymized data, and introducing mechanisms for cross-border data transfer. In this regard, the National Policy Committee of the National Assembly passed an amendment to the Personal Information Protection Act the previous day, which creates exceptions allowing personal data to be used for purposes other than collection, specifically for AI technology development. The main point of the amendment is that, following deliberation and resolution by the Personal Information Protection Commission, lawfully collected personal information can be used for AI technology development.

Previously, the commission visited Hyundai Motorstudio in Goyang in January and the Daegu Pseudonymized Data Use Support Center (Daegu Digital Innovation Promotion Agency) last month. In between, the “AI Privacy Public-Private Policy Council” was launched to respond to the growing prevalence of agent and physical AI. The focus has been on establishing standards tailored to environments where personal data is collected, inferred, and utilized in real time.

Chairperson Song stated plans to continue visiting various emerging industry sites, strengthening communication with the industrial sector, and promoting regulatory innovation tailored to on-site needs. Chairperson Song said, “Robotics is a core industry that will lead the nation’s future. Creating a safe and trustworthy data environment is essential for the sustainable development of innovative technologies. The commission will listen to voices from the field to support innovative growth for businesses, while also establishing a rational and flexible institutional foundation to ensure that the valuable personal information of citizens is safely protected.”

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