On August 19, "AI Summit Seoul & Expo 2026" (AISE), co-organized by the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), COEX, and DMK Global, officially opened at COEX in Samseong-dong, Gangnam-gu, Seoul. The three-day event runs through August 21. As South Korea's largest professional AI business event, AISE seamlessly integrates the country's premier AI conference, "AI SUMMIT SEOUL," with a large-scale trade exhibition. Through this innovative "ConfEX" (Conference + Exhibition) format, it builds an efficient international business bridge connecting global AI technology providers with demand-side enterprises.
This year's edition has witnessed explosive growth, marking a significant leap in both international reach and professional caliber. A total of 118 leading tech companies from seven countries have converged in Seoul, occupying 307 standard booths to showcase cutting-edge AI technologies and applications. This represents a 66.2% surge in exhibitors compared to last year's 71 companies and 197 booths. Visitor registration has reached unprecedented levels, with pre-registered attendees surging nearly fivefold year-on-year. KITA projects that the three-day event will draw over 25,000 trade visitors and industry professionals.
Hall B at COEX features four meticulously curated thematic zones, comprehensively covering key segments of the AI industry chain. These include "Industry AI," focusing on vertical industry deployment; "Enterprise AI," empowering corporate digital transformation; "Generative AI & Content Innovation," leading the content creation revolution; and "Experience AI," catering to both the general public and professional users. Global tech giants such as Adobe, Zenspark, and Oracle have made a strong presence, showcasing the latest AI technologies and successful use cases that can be deeply integrated into real-world scenarios across industrial manufacturing, finance, and healthcare.
To drive the commercialization of technological breakthroughs and foster business partnerships, the expo has introduced "AI Business Connecting," a high-density B2B matchmaking program. The initiative has attracted over 80 key players, including AI startups, large and medium-sized enterprises, and professional investment firms. With more than 200 targeted one-on-one business meetings scheduled on-site, it has significantly enhanced matchmaking efficiency between supply and demand. Additionally, the "AI Startup Forum & Pitching" provides an ideal platform for startup teams to showcase their core technologies and business models while seeking investment. Meanwhile, the "AI Workshop," tailored for corporate practitioners, offers highly practical training on topics such as overseas marketing and business process automation.
Notably, this year's expo looks beyond software and algorithms, turning its focus to the frontier of embodied AI. Alongside the "Experience AI" zone for general visitors, the event has innovatively introduced a "Humanoid Robot Demonstration Zone" for the first time. Here, global robotics leaders such as Agibot and Pudu Robotics have showcased their latest Physical AI technologies, vividly demonstrating the interactive and operational capabilities of humanoid robots in complex environments, making it a major highlight of the event.
Running concurrently with the bustling exhibition, the "AI SUMMIT SEOUL" main conference took place from August 19 to 20 at the COEX Grand Ballroom. The summit featured 69 expert keynote speeches centered on cutting-edge topics such as "AI Adoption in Manufacturing and Finance," "AI Agents," and "Physical AI." Heavyweight speakers from top global institutions and corporations, including Google, Microsoft, NASA, and Seagate, gathered to provide in-depth analyses of the latest technological trends and share cross-industry AI application strategies.
KITA emphasized that AISE 2026 holds special significance in the current era. It marks the first major private-sector AI business event held in South Korea following the government's release of the "San Francisco AI Declaration" in July this year. Driven by the grand vision of "building a global AI testbed and production platform," the expo is dedicated to opening new avenues for tech companies to acquire new customers and expand into overseas markets. At the same time, it provides demand-side enterprises with valuable opportunities to discover AI solutions truly applicable to frontline production scenarios.
In his opening address, Jung Hee-chul, Head of the Overseas Marketing Division at KITA, stated, "For South Korea to become a core player in the global AI supply chain, it is not enough to continuously develop outstanding technologies; we must also build a tangible marketplace where technology providers and industry end-users can engage face-to-face, collaborate deeply, and co-create business value." He added, "We sincerely hope that 'AI Summit Seoul & Expo' will truly serve as a premier business platform that empowers domestic AI companies to expand their commercial footprint and accelerates the AI-driven transformation and upgrading of industries across the board."