The rapidly evolving field of artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer a distant vision—it is reshaping industries, government policy, and society in real time. This week, industry leaders, academics, and policymakers convened at the News1 Tech Forum 2026 (NTF 2026) in Seoul to discuss these transformations.
On June 10, News1 hosted the event at the Glad Hotel in Yeongdeungpo District, Seoul, under the theme “The Agentic AI Era: How Industry Order is Shifting.”
In his opening remarks, News1 CEO Lee Young-seop emphasized that the rapid development of AI is not only restructuring industry but also redefining “the conditions for winning.”
“Competitive advantage now depends on how many high-performance AI chips a company can secure and how effectively AI is applied in the field,” Lee said.
Citing the recent visit of NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang to Korea, Lee noted, “The most sought-after meetings by Korea’s leading companies and government are no longer with CEOs of automotive or smartphone companies—but with AI semiconductor leaders. This symbolizes where business power is shifting in the AI era.”
Lee added, “Questions about how to leverage AI for competitiveness highlight that AI is no longer a sector-specific concern—it has become a strategic imperative for society and the nation as a whole.”
NTF 2026 featured participation from legislators and government officials, including Rep. Lee Ju-hee of the Science, ICT, Broadcasting, and Communications Committee of the National Assembly, and AI expert Rep. Lee Hae-min of the Reform Innovation Party. From the government, Ryu Je-myung, Vice Minister of Science and ICT, attended.
A highlight of the forum was the keynote by Lim Jeong-hwan, CEO of Motif Technologies, which is participating in the Ministry of Science and ICT’s “National AI” program. Lim spoke on “The Role of Humans in the AI Era.”
The event also featured a special panel discussion with Seoul National University Professor Yoon Sung-ro and Enhance AI Chief AI Officer Kim Do-kyun, examining how AI is transforming industry and workplace processes.
Other sessions covered critical infrastructure and applications: Kim Myung-guk of SK Telecom discussed the growth of AI infrastructure via the “Haein Cluster”; Lee Seung-kyung of AhnLab addressed AI security challenges in a session titled “Mythos Shock”; Shin Seung-yong of LG CNS explored AI-driven industry transformation (AX); and Baek Jong-yoon of Naver Labs focused on physical AI applications.
Lee concluded, “From national AI strategy and human roles to AI infrastructure, security, and future industry directions, this forum brings together leading voices from government, industry, and academia. We hope this will provide new insights and opportunities for collaboration.”