JB Financial Group brought together strategic partners at its annual forum to expand cooperation in artificial intelligence (AI) and fintech, the company said Thursday. The group held its second annual JB Forum from last Friday to Saturday at its campus in Jeongeup, North Jeolla Province, with 14 partners from Korea and abroad participating. Held under the theme "Navigating Tomorrow," the two-day forum featured strategic partners including Finda, Upstage, Aigen Global, Higher Diversity and MediArk, which shared business developments and discussed potential areas of collaboration. JB Financial has made strategic investment in 17 companies so far, expanding its focus this year beyond domestic and overseas fintech firms to include AI and digital assets. Four companies joined its partner network this year including Upstage, Streami, U.S.-based AI security firm CipherData and Higher Diversity. Participants shared developments from the past year and discussed how AI could reshape financial services and workplace practices. The forum also featured demonstrations of physical AI, with humanoid robo