150 people gathered at the first ‘paid conference’ this year… The conference continues from the 6th to the 8th.
As 'smart cities' become a hot topic around the world, voices are growing louder that the direction should focus on people, not technology. Considering that the purpose of a smart city is to create a sustainable city, create a better urban environment, and improve the quality of life, the common denominator is ultimately people.
At the 'World Smart City Expo (WSCE) 6' held at KINTEX in Goyang, Gyeonggi-do on the 2023th, a paid conference was held under the theme of 'The era of urban innovation created by humans, AI (artificial intelligence), and robots.' The paid conference is being introduced for the first time this year, and unlike existing lecture-type conferences, it is possible to network with famous speakers who are difficult to meet. Initially, advance applications were accepted with a limit of 100 people per conference, but as the number of applicants increased, the number was increased to 150. This event is hosted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, and Transport and organized by the Smart Cities Association.
Edram Evera Yemeru, Director of Knowledge and Innovation at UN-Habitat, who gave a lecture at the conference on this day, said, “65% of cities around the world are considering introducing AI-related solutions, and 30% of countries are implementing them.” “The conclusion reached with Habitat for Humanity’s 191 member countries is that ‘smart cities must have people at the center. People are more important than technology,’” he said.
He said, “We talk about technologies such as robots and AI, but we need to think about how to solve urban problems and how to utilize technology to develop the urban environment.” To this end, he emphasized that human rights protection, digital equality, and public trust must be considered.
Song Gil-young, Vice President of Vibe Company, also emphasized that the important thing is people, not technology. Vice President Song said, “In order to set up a smart office, rather than equipping (technical) facilities, a change is needed at the level of department heads who are not used to eating alone,” adding, “Seeing that work from home was lifted after the pandemic, we can see that it is not a technology problem. “I can understand,” he said.
He went on to say, “We are now in the era of nuclear individuals rather than nuclear families, with single-person households taking center stage,” and added, “We need to think about how changes in society will change the overall space and structure of life.”
Meanwhile, four paid conferences were held, including 'The Era of Urban Innovation Viewed through Human AI Robots' on the day, 'The Era of Lucrative Smart City Data Transactions' on the 7th, 'Smart City Financing Master Class', and Smart City Innovation On Stage on the 8th. It goes on.