South Korea, Japan Urged to Combine Manufacturing for 'Physical AI' to Counter US-China Hegemony

Amid the intensifying competition for artificial intelligence dominance between the United States and China, a strategic imperative has emerged for South Korea and Japan: to forge a powerful alliance through their combined manufacturing capabilities.

Park Young-sun, a former minister and current advisor to the Ministry of Economy and Finance's Strategic Economy Advisory Committee, advocates for this collaboration. She proposes that by joining forces to construct a 'physical AI' ecosystem, both nations can carve out a significant new position within the existing AI order, which is currently shaped by American and Chinese influence.

This initiative envisions leveraging Japan's advanced manufacturing expertise and South Korea's strengths in areas like semiconductors and AI software. The goal is to create a robust ecosystem for physical AI – AI that interacts with the real world through robotics, autonomous systems, and advanced manufacturing processes. Such an ecosystem could provide a crucial competitive edge and reduce reliance on the current US-China-centric AI landscape.

The proposal highlights a potential pathway for South Korea and Japan to move beyond being mere consumers or secondary players in the global AI race, positioning them as key architects of the next generation of AI technology.

“

We must combine manufacturing competitiveness between Korea and Japan to break through 'physical AI' while the US and China clash over AI hegemony.