The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy held a conference on the theme of 'Embodied AI,' which involves embodying artificial intelligence (AI) into products, and discussed strategies for AI convergence in key industries such as semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding. Embedded AI is a technology that integrates with products to make decisions and move autonomously, and it is cited as a core technology that will determine manufacturing competitiveness.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy announced on the 20th that it held the 5th M.AX Conference on the 18th under the theme of "Embedded AI: Artificial Intelligence Actually Moving in the Real World." Experts from industry, academia, and research institutes attended the event to discuss technological trends and policy directions regarding AI future vehicles, autonomous ships, and AI semiconductors.

M.AX stands for Manufacturing AI Transformation.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy explained that domestic conditions, possessing a manufacturing portfolio including semiconductors, automobiles, and shipbuilding, are advantageous for the competition in embedded AI.

However, he added that since AI convergence technology is not yet mature, it is necessary to accelerate product AX through exchange, joint research and development, and commercialization between manufacturing companies and AI companies.

The Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy is pursuing technology acquisition and ecosystem building centered on the 'M.AX Alliance,' which involves over 1,500 manufacturing companies, AI companies, academia, and research institutions.

The AI Robot Division is supporting the development of robot foundation models and components with the goal of mass-producing humanoids and is conducting field demonstrations, while the AI Future Vehicle Division is providing new support for 14 projects worth 49.5 billion won this year, including autonomous driving AI models, SDV standard platforms, and automotive semiconductors.

The Autonomous Ship Division launched the 'AI Data Platform' project last May to secure full-cycle technology for fully autonomous navigation, and the AI Semiconductor Division is promoting the 'K-On-Device AI Semiconductor Development Project' in conjunction with demand companies in four major industries.

Professor Kim Yong-seok of Gachon University [is] domestic on-device Suggested a plan to build an ecosystem, stating that technological independence in AI semiconductors is urgent.

Jeon Byung-wook, President of the Korea Automotive Research Institute, predicted that autonomous driving technology will evolve to a stage where it understands and infers the physical world, and emphasized the establishment of an ecosystem encompassing world models, data infrastructure, and semiconductors dedicated to AI inference.

Lim Do-hyung, CEO of Avicus, urged the creation of a policy environment that enables domestic companies to participate in government-led technology development and demonstration, as well as the development of international standards.

Kim Seong-yeol, Head of the Industrial Growth Office, who presided over the event, stated, “Advancing products by embodying artificial intelligence into core products is a national task that will determine the survival of the manufacturing industry,” adding, “Embedded AI, which signifies the intelligence of export products themselves as well as the intelligence of manufacturing processes, must work together as the two main pillars.”