Heading Towards the Future of 'Companion and Attractive Smart Life'

In the era of 'Artificial Intelligence Transformation' (AX), AI policy development and services are at the forefront. At CES 2024, held in Las Vegas, 21% of participating companies were AI firms, showcasing over 11,000 new AI services. With the rise of generative AI, led by ChatGPT, AI's influence is expanding across all industries, including the public sector, where the adoption of generative AI is expected to grow.

Seoul Mayor Oh Se-hoon emphasized that the Seoul Metropolitan Government should become the organization that most actively utilizes cutting-edge technologies like ChatGPT. Seoul and the Seoul Digital Foundation are currently developing a comprehensive AI administrative plan to realize the vision of making Seoul "the world's most attractive AI city." The foundation, as an AI-focused institution, provides training for public servants and citizens, conducts policy research, develops services, and offers technical support.

To promote AI in the public sector, the foundation has developed a "Seoul-specific language model" based on Meta's open-source large language model (LLM), LLaMA2, by fine-tuning it with data owned by the foundation. This Seoul-specific language model will be used to deploy three services this year: digital consultation for supporting the elderly in their digital lives, an LLM assistant for Seoul's public servants, and a civil service helpdesk.

Seoul boasts world-class smart city competitiveness, with advanced infrastructure like the Seoul Transportation Information Center (TOPIS), ultra-fast private networks, and a metaverse platform. Seoul ranks high on various smart city indices and won the top city award at the prestigious Smart City Expo World Congress (SCEWC) in 2022.

At CES 2024, Mayor Oh announced that Seoul would showcase a city where cutting-edge science and technology are integrated into daily life, building on the city's existing brand image. This event, Smart Life Week (SLW), is distinct from traditional tech expos like CES, the Mobile World Congress (MWC), and the Internationale Funkausstellung (IFA). SLW focuses on people, not just technology, allowing participants to experience cutting-edge lifestyle technologies across various sectors, from housing and food to beauty.

SLW is not a competition for unveiling new technologies, nor is it driven by commercial goals. Its uniqueness lies in showcasing technologies that support the underprivileged and offering life-cycle technologies accessible to all generations. Rather than being an event for the sake of the event, SLW will be a shared insight space where citizens can experience and spread the future smart lifestyle.

SLW will take place from October 10-12 at COEX in Gangnam, Seoul. Organized by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Seoul Digital Foundation, this global exhibition and convention will feature various events, including a summit of global city government leaders, conferences, exhibitions, and awards. It will be a new platform to experience how advanced technology will transform urban living and to announce policies that embody the city's philosophy of walking alongside the vulnerable.

As part of its digital inclusion policy, the foundation has been promoting digital education for approximately 50,000 senior citizens over the past four years through the "Anywhere Support Group," a program recognized as an official UNESCO Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) project. This year, the "Digital Experience Bus" project, which provides senior citizens with opportunities to experience new technologies, will be launched across Seoul. The 25-seat electric bus will be equipped with state-of-the-art digital devices.

The foundation is committed to creating a happier Seoul by enhancing smart city capabilities and improving quality of life in line with AI and big data trends. Through AI and big data-driven intelligence, global cross-validation for startups, and digital inclusion initiatives, we are moving closer to a future of 'Companion and Attractive Smart Life.'

Kang Yo-sik
President of Seoul Digital Foundation

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