MIT set to open its first AI research lab in Seoul

Home > Business > Tech

MIT set to open its first AI research lab in Seoul

Published: 23 Sep. 2025, 12:44 Updated: 23 Sep. 2025, 18:50

Audio report: written by reporters, read by AI

A rendering of the Global AI Lab, jointly established by the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Senseable City Lab [SEOUL AI FOUNDATION]

The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is planting its flag in Korea with plans to open its first official artificial intelligence (AI) research lab in Seoul — a move that could cement the capital’s ambitions to become a global smart city leader.

Kim Man-ki, chairman of the Seoul AI Foundation (SAIF), said in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Sept. 15 that the Seoul Metropolitan Government and the MIT Senseable City Lab will sign a memorandum of agreement on Sept. 30 to jointly establish the “Global AI Lab” in Seoul.

The lab, to be located in Sangam-dong, Mapo District, western Seoul, will span 523.64 square meters (5,636 square feet) and begin operations before the end of the year.

This marks the first time MIT is opening an official research institute in Korea.

The Senseable City Lab, MIT’s research group focused on urban studies using sensors and data, has previously launched joint labs in cities such as Amsterdam, Singapore, Stockholm, Rio de Janeiro and Dubai. Seoul will be the sixth city to host a lab.

The Global AI Lab plans to carry out three to five projects in Seoul. To select research topics, it recently held a briefing session for Seoul government departments and affiliated agencies and is currently reviewing submitted proposals.

Kim Man-ki, chairman of the Seoul AI Foundation (SAIF), speaks in an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Sept. 15. [SEOUL AI FOUNDATION]

“MIT plans to identify AI-related research topics in partnership with Seoul and will dispatch 10 Ph.D.-level full-time researchers to carry out Seoul-specific projects,” Kim said. “Our goal is to build Seoul into a global hub for ‘urban AI’ in collaboration with MIT.”

In addition to the MIT partnership, the SAIF is expanding cooperation with other institutions to support Seoul’s AI policy. It is currently working with KAIST on a voice-operated public application project aimed at improving accessibility for seniors. The project has received research and development funding from the Ministry of Science and ICT.

“If the central government focuses on infrastructure like data centers and computing power, the Seoul Metropolitan Government will focus on AI applications and services so that more citizens can benefit from the technology,” Kim said.

The SAIF is currently overseeing 51 projects commissioned by various city departments and agencies. These include projects to use AI to predict passenger demand on public transportation down to the minute, enabling more efficient bus and subway deployment. Other projects involve using AI to analyze weather data to forecast and prevent accidents related to fine dust, heavy rain or heat waves.

“Thanks to Mayor Oh Se-hoon's early vision for AI strategy, Seoul has been able to incorporate AI into public administration and even establish ethical guidelines for its use,” Kim added.

Kim Man-ki, chairman of the Seoul AI Foundation (SAIF), poses during an interview with the JoongAng Ilbo on Sept. 15. [SEOUL AI FOUNDATION]

The SAIF is also preparing for the opening of Smart Life Week on Sept. 30. This ICT expo will be held at Coex in Gangnam District, southern Seoul, and is expected to draw 60,000 participants from 200 cities and 300 companies.

This year’s event will feature an LED tunnel with a large-scale kinetic art installation at the entrance.

“Global companies like IBM, Alibaba and Palantir will participate, and the scale of the event has doubled in both size and quality compared to last year,” Kim said. “We aim to establish Seoul as the world’s leading AI city through this event.”

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY MOON HEE-CHUL [[email protected]]