Smart Life Week 2025 to showcase AI-driven future

Smart Life Week (SLW) 2025, set to open at Coex in southern Seoul on Sept. 30 and run for three days, will spotlight how emerging technologies are reshaping daily life while also exploring how artificial intelligence (AI) and smart tools can better support disadvantaged communities.

Now in its second year, the event is co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the World Smart Sustainable Cities Organization and organized by the Seoul AI Foundation.

Under this year’s slogan, “AI for Humanity, Smart Cities Leading Tomorrow,” the event will showcase practical applications of smart technologies, reflecting Seoul’s view that innovation should serve those most in need.

The opening ceremony on the first day will be led by Lee Se-young, founder and CEO of AI company Wrtn Technologies. As the keynote speaker, Lee is expected to deliver a message to mayors and city leaders from abroad on technology, people and social coexistence.

The exhibition will allow visitors to see how AI can shape daily life and transform the city, with nine scenario-based spaces illustrating the seamless integration of advanced technologies into everyday routines.

Visitors will have the chance to experience a day in the future, beginning in a smart health care setting, commuting with next-generation mobility, studying with an AI tutor, managing assets through digital finance services in the afternoon, and ending the evening with personalized caregiving — all powered by AI technologies.

Leading Korean companies such as Amorepacific, Doosan Robotics and Shinhan Bank have contributed to the scenario-based installations, enhancing the realism and immersion of the technologies on display.

One of the exhibition’s main highlights will be the inaugural Seoul AI Robot Show, showcasing robots designed to work alongside humans in real-world settings and operate in extreme environments.

“I believe visitors will enjoy this show,” Won Ki-cheol, a manager at the city’s Digital Policy Division, told The Korea Times. “Humanoid robots will take part in unusual spectacles, from traditional Korean games such as biseokchigi (a stone-throwing game similar to one featured in the Netflix hit 'Squid Game') to archery and weightlifting competitions.”

Another centerpiece will be an international conference bringing together corporate leaders and academics to assess technological trends and share their visions for urban development. Sessions will focus on inclusive urban technology, the ethics of AI and strategies for addressing climate change.

Notable speakers include IBM Director Petra Florizoone, Palantir Chief Architect Akshay Krishnaswamy, MIT professor of urban technologies and planning Carlo Ratti, UCLA professor Dennis Hong, University of Cambridge’s Maxwell Centre Director Agnieszka Iwasiewicz-Wabnig and SAS Institute Vice President of Global Technology Practice Deepak Ramanathan.

The Seoul Climate Tech Conference, launched by the Seoul Metropolitan Government in 2023 as Korea’s first such local government-led initiative, will be held during Smart Life Week under the theme “Smart Climate Tech for All.” The conference will explore how climate technologies can contribute to the global agenda for sustainable cities and carbon neutrality.

Key speakers include professor Yun Sun-Jin of Seoul National University’s Graduate School of Environmental Studies and Chairman Chung Moo-sung of the Hyundai Motor Chung Mong-Koo Foundation.

Another major program will be the Seoul Smart City Prize, launched in 2023 to promote Seoul’s smart city vision globally. The award recognizes cities, projects and leaders that advance technological innovation, social inclusion and sustainability.

This year’s ceremony, set for Sept. 30, will honor 21 winners, including 16 projects — eight focusing on people and eight on technological innovation — along with two in leadership and three in the special award category. So far, 220 entries have been submitted by cities, institutions and companies worldwide.

Last year, Baguio in the Philippines won a gold prize for projects focusing on people, while Reykjavik in Iceland was recognized for technological innovation.

SLW is designed not only as a showcase of technology but also as a testing ground for citizen participation. The SLW Citizen Innovation Award, chosen by a panel of 30 citizen journalists and on-site participants, will recognize around 10 companies with the most innovative, market-ready products on Oct. 2.

The event will also host the Youth AI Hackathon, where young participants will harness AI, big data and the Internet of Things to address urban challenges and propose creative solutions to social problems.

The scale of this year’s event has grown significantly. Last year’s edition drew some 30,000 visitors and brought together 147 companies along with participants from 72 countries and 109 cities worldwide, solidifying its status as a global platform. This year, approximately 60,000 visitors, 300 companies and 200 cities are expected to take part.

The exhibition space will expand to nearly double last year’s 7,290 square meters, creating room for more exhibits and interactive experiences that invite visitors to engage directly with emerging technologies.

“SLW is not a one-off event but the centerpiece of Seoul’s broader smart city initiative, and a shared testing ground created with cities around the world,” said Kang Ok-hyun, general director of the Seoul Metropolitan Government’s Digital City Bureau. “We will continue to take the lead in using technology to address social inequality and bridge the digital divide.”

https://www.koreatimes.co.kr/lifestyle/people-events/20250826/smart-life-week-2025-to-showcase-ai-driven-future/a>