KB News DeskGlobal mobility leaders explore how AI is reshaping vehicles, factories, logistics, energy systems at Herald-hosted forum
Mobility, artificial intelligence and energy leaders from Korea, China, India and the United Arab Emirates gathered in Seoul on Tuesday for the Future AI Mobility Summit 2026 to discuss how AI is reshaping vehicles, logistics, factories, data centers and energy infrastructure.
Co-hosted by Herald Media Group, publisher of The Korea Herald and Herald Business, and the Korea Future eco-Mobility Service Association, the summit was held at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry under the slogan “Motion to Emotion.” About 600 delegates and business leaders from 10 countries attended.
Lee Seok-gu, chairman of the Korea Future eco-Mobility Service Association and co-chair of the organizing committee, called on businesses and policymakers to move faster in response to AI-driven change.
“AI is no longer something industries can afford to wait and see,” Lee said. “It has become an unavoidable shift.”
Herald Media Group CEO Choi Jin-young, also co-chair of the organizing committee, said the event came as Korea looks for new momentum in semiconductors, physical AI, data centers and mobility.
“At a time when human civilization is evolving at the speed of light, it is deeply meaningful to host this summit on future AI mobility,” Choi said.
In a global keynote speech, H.E. Obaid Al Ketbi, founder and CEO of Dr. O Group Holding and a former UAE major general, said the next race would be over who governs the intelligence behind mobility systems.
“Sovereignty is not about building walls,” Al Ketbi said. “It is about the capacity of a nation to direct artificial intelligence in alignment with its own values and future.”
Li Tianyuan, chief designer of Xiaomi Auto and the creative force behind the SU7 and YU7 electric vehicles, said AI was changing the relationship between drivers and cars.
“With AI, the car can become a partner that understands you,” Li said.
The first session focused on smart logistics, new energy vehicles and Korea-China cooperation in certification, quality testing and design. Speakers included Luo Lan, CEO of Zong Heng Korea; Wenli Zhang, vice chairman of the Automotive Branch of the China Association for Quality Inspection; Li Jinyong, chairman of the New Energy Vehicle Committee under the China Auto Dealers Chamber of Commerce; and Xu Wangni, professor at the China Academy of Art’s School of Industrial Design.
“AI cannot remove uncertainty from logistics,” said Hwang Kyu-young, pricing strategy department leader of LX Pantos. “What it can do is help us read the level of risk and prepare better response scenarios.”
The second session focused on robotics and dark factories. Xiangrui Zeng, professor at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, and Yang Hun-chul, chief technology officer at LS Group’s Gaon Cable, discussed data-driven manufacturing and autonomous logistics.
“Quality prediction, autonomous logistics and 24-hour operation must be connected through data,” Yang said.
The final session looked at AI infrastructure and energy. Enova CEO Choi Seung-ho said power supply, grid access and heat management had become key issues for AI data centers.
“Power and cooling are now part of national AI competitiveness,” Choi said.
The final panel focused on India’s AI and infrastructure market. Singh Ravindrapratap, CEO of KPMG India; Aditya Shankar Prasad, CEO of Prasad & Associates; and Amitabh Keshav, CEO of Shila Corp., discussed localization and market-entry support for Korean companies.
