The University of Seoul held the 2026 Seoul Big Data Forum at Coex in southern Seoul from Oct. 6-7 to explore how artificial intelligence (AI) and big data technologies will shape future cities and open up new possibilities for data use. The two-day event was co-hosted by the Seoul Metropolitan Government, the Seoul Institute and the Seoul AI Foundation, the university said Friday. The forum brought together domestic and international experts to discuss advances in AI and big data and share their research findings. About 2,600 people, including AI, big data and robotics professionals, along with members of the public, attended the forum both in person and online. The keynote address was delivered by Dennis Hong, a renowned roboticist and professor at the University of California, Los Angeles, who directs the Robotics & Mechanisms Laboratory. In a presentation titled “When Intelligence Gets a Body: Humanoids and the Rise of Physical Intelligence,” Hong discussed the potential of humanoid robots and physical AI. His lively and engaging presentation drew an enthusiastic response from the