Autonomous Manufacturing Powered by Physical AI: The Core of Future Manufacturing
- 2026.08.04
In a special keynote address at the kick-off meeting for the AI-Applied Product Rapid Commercialization Support Project hosted by the Korea Federation of SMEs (KBIZ), Professor Young Jae Jang of KAIST (CEO of DAIM Research) unveiled a strategic blueprint for the future of manufacturing.
Professor Jang emphasized that factories are transitioning toward fully unmanned operations driven by autonomous robotics. He identified a holistic, system-level approach to autonomous manufacturing—treating the entire smart factory as a single integrated ecosystem rather than relying on isolated technologies—as the key factor driving the competitiveness of South Korea`s manufacturing sector. Furthermore, he highlighted the vital need to build an ecosystem centered on Physical AI unmanned factory platforms tailored specifically for industrial applications.
The interministerial collaborative initiative, backed by a total budget of 122.9 billion KRW, has selected 48 key projects to accelerate the AI transformation (AX) of small and medium-sized manufacturers. The project targets field deployment and product launch of AI technologies within 1 to 2 years. Starting with the K-food sector, the task force plans to expand AI adoption across diverse industries including K-beauty and fashion, actively boosting the global market entry and export competitiveness of domestic enterprises.
