Today, the evolution of artificial intelligence (AI) has transcended the competition of software operating on desktop monitors. AI is now driving a transformation of civilization by integrating with physical spaces, power grids, and urban infrastructure. Approximately 4,700 trillion won is being invested globally to build an AI civilization, and a nation's survival hinges on how this capital is concentrated in physical spaces. Successful AI cluster examples abroad emphasize the power of concentration, indicating that South Korea must seek urban and industrial solutions.
Taiwan's Hsinchu Science Park serves as a prime model of how the physical heart of AI hardware directly correlates with national competitiveness. The concentration of semiconductor design, manufacturing, packaging, and numerous suppliers has created a robust ecosystem, establishing a dominant position in the foundry market, which is central to global AI infrastructure. The essence of this success lies in the 'power of concentration,' where infrastructure, workforce, and supply chains operate as a single, massive organism. The high-density concentration of the foundry ecosystem has lowered production costs and maximized innovation speed, becoming the driving force behind capturing global technological supremacy in a small territory. This underscores the necessity of strong physical concentration rather than dispersed investment in establishing an AI hardware foundation.
Pittsburgh, in the United States, represents a historical transformation that overcame the decline of traditional manufacturing through advanced technology and urban regeneration. Once the heart of the American steel industry, this city has evolved into a global hub for physical AI, combining top-tier research capabilities, including Carnegie Mellon University (CMU), with robotics, autonomous driving, and AI. This case illustrates how software-centric AI must integrate with the physical labor, manufacturing processes, and urban spaces of the real world. Former factory and research sites have been reborn as testbeds for experimenting with and validating robots and AI. The adoption of industrial heritage and cutting-edge technology in urban planning has attracted new jobs and talent, marking a milestone in how AI is reshaping our cities and industrial sites beyond virtual spaces.
For such massive clusters to function, substantial resources must be supported. Globally, the seed capital for building an AI civilization amounts to trillions of won. This serves as a catalyst for constructing data centers, large-scale power grids, high-speed communication networks, and urban infrastructure that enables seamless operation of autonomous vehicles and robots.
However, if this vast capital is fragmented into individual company subsidies, the synergy seen in Taiwan or Pittsburgh will not be achievable. Capital only realizes its true value when combined with a clear spatial strategy. The cornerstone of an AI civilization must ultimately be designed as an 'urban planning-based AI cluster' where computational resources, power, and human living environments are organically connected.
South Korea's strategy is clear. First, a shift from 'dispersed' to 'concentrated' cluster strategies is necessary. Domestic policies have tended to support advanced industrial infrastructure in a dispersed manner. Like Taiwan, we must cultivate high-tech special zones at the national level where core companies, research institutions, and semiconductor and AI computational infrastructure are physically concentrated to enhance efficiency.
Second, we need to establish 'physical AI' demonstration cities utilizing existing manufacturing hubs. Cities like Ulsan, Changwon, and Gumi, which have strong global competitiveness in manufacturing, should be transformed into testbeds for physical AI that combines AI-based robotics and smart factories.
Third, a spatial and energy-oriented master plan for AI infrastructure must be developed. Capital should not be limited to technology R&D but should also be invested in constructing self-sufficient data and energy cities that are reliably connected to new industrial hubs in the outskirts of the metropolitan area or in rural areas, ensuring stable supply of large-scale power and water.
In the AI era, national power does not stem from a single outstanding algorithm. It arises from the combination of a strong hardware ecosystem and the physical urban spaces where technology thrives and is validated, that is, from the 'power of concentration' through urban planning. Reflecting on the history of innovation demonstrated by Taiwan and Pittsburgh, we too must make urban and industrial decisions that integrate capital, space, and industry.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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